Aided by hospice staff, a dying woman had the chance to see her beloved horse and two dogs one last time as the precious pets were brought to her bedside.
Jan, 68, and her husband, Dennis, who’ve been married for 46 years, shared two Cavalier King Charles spaniels named Monty and Rowley. In addition, Jan was the proud keeper of a handsome piebald cob, named Bob.
Dennis said that when his wife was moved from her hospital bed to the hospice in Chester, it was “just such a relief,” as the couple was then allowed to welcome regular visitors. However, he had never imagined that their dogs, and Jan’s horse, would be allowed to make the list.
Yet hospice staffers knew what Jan needed.
“Even though Jan wasn’t able to get out of bed, she was so excited to have the chance to see Bob one more time,” they shared. “The nurses wheeled her bed to the patio doors and the team from Thornleigh Park Farm Stables, where Bob is in livery, walked him into the hospice courtyard for a very emotional reunion.”
Bob “put his head through the doors and nuzzled Jan’s neck and lap.” The detailed, touching photos show the reunion between the horse and rider during which the cob enjoyed a treat of carrots, bananas, and apples.
Jan was overcome by the chance to see her animals one last time.
“I just can’t believe what the staff here at the hospice have done for me,” she said, adding that she was still riding Bob just a few weeks prior. “He is such an important part of my life, and I have missed him so much,” she added.
Jan was aware that they could arrange for her dogs to visit, as they had a neighbor who was at the hospice a few years ago and she was allowed to get her dogs in. However, Jan didn’t expect they would ever be able to give her “the chance to see Bob one more time.”
The hospice said that taking care of their patient’s emotional and spiritual needs is just as important as caring for their clinical needs. “It’s about making a difference to our patients and their families in whatever way we can,” they affirmed.
Caroline Siddall, Director of Income Generation for Hospice of the Good Shepherd, informed The Epoch Times that Jan sadly died on Oct. 11. The hospice, said Siddall, must continue to raise 3.5 million pounds (approx. US$4.8 million) every single year in order to deliver its life-changing services to others.
