66-year-old drove herself to heart hospital as her artery tore — the notes from her final moments haunt family weeks after her passing
Losing a loved one isn't always easy, as it leaves a deep void and pain. But the most painful part is remembering their final moments and realizing what they endured. As reported by PEOPLE on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a TikTok user, Jackie Booth (@jackiebooth777), recently shared a similar experience. Jackie came across a handwritten note from her late mother-in-law, who had taken matters into her own hands after feeling unwell, unaware of the severity of her condition. Finding that note only made the situation more painful for Jackie’s family.
@jackiebooth777 Replying to @Jeckzation Nation Thank you. They’re heartbreaking. If sharing them helps even one person, it’s worth it.🤍 I’m using your comment to answer questions about the notes. #aorticdissection #griefjourney ♬ original sound - Jackie
Jackie uploaded a carousel post to her TikTok account on February 22, 2026, captioning, “losing her has been our biggest heartbreak.” In the first slide, her husband can be seen resting in her lap in what appears to be a moment of grief. The overlay text revealed the incident in which Jackie's mother-in-law left messages moments before she drove herself to the hospital. But at the time, she was unaware of her serious health condition. The next two slides showed photos of the handwritten notes, one of which read, “I need help, I think.” The final slide revealed another: “Please help me,” followed by her name and her son’s contact number.
However, in another video, the 45-year-old woman explained it was too late when her family discovered those notes. “We found those notes after she had passed. We went to her apartment to clean it up,” said Jackie. She said her husband spotted one of the notes after sitting on her bed. But it was not just one; the couple found several others in fragments. Those pieces of paper soon became invaluable, offering a glimpse into Paula’s final moments before she made it to the hospital. The delayed discovery of those notes "haunts" the family to this day.
Paula’s daughter-in-law also added that she probably wrote those notes because she had sensed something very “terrifying" happening in her body. “She was so scared that she was going to either pass out or not make it out of her apartment,” Jackie described the likely situation at the time. Nevertheless, she decided to stay strong and handle the situation as best she could. Upon reaching the hospital, Paula was diagnosed with an aortic dissection. It occurs when the aorta develops a tear, causing its inner and middle layers to separate, as per Mayo Clinic.
According to a report from Liv Hospital, patients with type A dissections who are managed medically have a survival rate of approximately 72% at 24 hours. This rate drops to 43% at 2 weeks. "It was just two weeks of just a nightmare,” Jackie told the outlet about the time her mother-in-law spent in the hospital. Paula then succumbed to aortic dissection at the age of 66. However, those handwritten notes were a testament to how a 66-year-old woman chose to remain independent with strong resolve in a very difficult situation.
Jackie's shared post has already gained around 1 million likes, but she clarified in another video that she only wanted to share this experience with everyone for awareness and has not “monetized” it. More than five years have passed since Paula’s death, yet her memories and the fact that the notes were discovered only after she was gone still haunt Booth’s family. “We have not been the same since,” said Booth.
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