I had a similar experience when my father had a bleeding stroke. He did ultimately die. They did two surgeries to relieve the pressure in hopes that he would recover. In the second week after the stroke and two surgeries I went to see him and his face was just beautiful. Not distorted like it had been. It looked like my Dad but younger almost. He wasn't supposed to be able to hear me or sense anything. I can't explain it but the room felt Holy and light and pure. Anyway, I held his hand and said "Dad if you can hear me squeeze my hand." He did! I freaked out and called the nurse and we did it again. Then she freaked out. I called my family and everyone was so excited.

The next day my younger sister woke up with a start and said "He's not coming back, he's saying goodbye." I knew it too. I knew the Holy feeling in the room was a sliver of the peace and joy he was seeing and feeling. I also knew he wanted to go there. To understand this fully you have to appreciate how much my father loved his family. It was weird but I kept thinking, "If he is willing and wanting to leave us, that place must be something unimaginably wonderful." He couldn't breath on his own at that time and the next day they told us that they would have to take out the breathing tube and put him on a ventilator. My Mom was devastated and so torn, because she knew he wouldn't want that. I went to his room alone the next morning and said, "Dad, if you need to go it's okay. We will take care of Mom. But you have to make it crystal clear." I later found out my sister did the same thing. The next morning they told us he "fell off a cliff" physically. We said Goodbye on a Thursday. It was the most bittersweet moment of my life because I knew he was with God. Changed me forever.