In Bethany, Connecticut, Karina Courtmanche lives in a hospice with doctors giving her just a few months to live. As her dying wish, she only wanted one thing - to be reunited with her beloved pet horse.
The horse, named Bella, was raised by Courtmanche from the time it was born some 30 years ago.
“I’m very excited that I’m able to give her this last wish. It’s important to her, so it’s important to us,” said Michelle Walker, RN Case Manager for CT Hospice.
Bella is currently being taken care of at Bittersweet Farm, which is some distance away from the hospice. Luckily for Courtmanche, administrators in both places were so moved that they excitedly began planning to reunite the two.
“We were talking with her and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella,” Walker said.
Many hospices do their best in the US to try and grant people's dying wishes within reason.
“Our medical team, our EMTs went to Mary Wade this morning to help transition her from the bed to the stretcher, and she’ll be coming in an ambulance,” said Andrew Rennie, Exec. Business Develop. For American Medical Response.
Mary Wade Home is the hospice that's been caring for Courtmanche for over a year now.
“Her condition has declined where her body is just failing her,” Walker said. “She’s a lovely lady, she loves to be dressed up to the nines, she loves having the jewellery on, makeup done.”
Once Karina passes, Bella will continue to be cared for at Bittersweet Farm, according to WFSB. Bella is now 30 years old and in her senior years as well.
A heartwarming video shows the woman being carried in a stretcher by a team so that she could pet Bella in her stable and feed her one last carrot.
The caretakers at Bittersweet Farm told Karina, "Your Bella still loves you," as she gave her horse a last goodbye.
There are currently over 1.6 million individuals living in hospice care throughout the US. With individuals living longer than ever, and the boomer population ageing rapidly, care staff is having a hard time keeping up. In a published investigation, over 300 prominent doctors wrote: "In recent years, we have observed an increasing prevalence of serious deficiencies in hospice care and high variability in the quality of care."
With many non and for-profit institutions, this video of Karina and her horse has warmed the hearts of many across the internet - especially as the hospice care industry is so overwhelmed with requests.
