Hospice patient ‘kept talking about her horse.’ She got to say goodbye from stretcher
A 79-year-old woman in hospice care got to say goodbye to one of her most cherished companions — Bella, the horse she raised since the equine was 2 years old.
Karina Courtmanche rode in an ambulance to the horse farm in Connecticut where Bella lives on Sunday, July 9, according to local reports.
Courtmanche told her caretakers in Connecticut Hospice that she wanted to see her beloved Bella again, a case manager told WAFB.
“We were talking with her, and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella,” Michelle Walker told the station.
So Courtmanche’s hospice team made it happen.
It coordinated with ambulance company American Medical Response to take Courtmanche out to Bittersweet Farm in Bethany and set her up in a stretcher right outside Bella’s stall, WTNH reported.
“We know that the horse was very important to her, and that this was an important part of her transitioning through these final times of her life,” Andrew Rennie told WTNH. Rennie is the account executive of business development for American Medical Response.
Video shows Courtmanche stroking 30-year-old Bella’s nose and feeding carrots to her. Walker assures Courtmanche that Bella ate the carrots and even stretched her nose out to give her kisses.
“I’m very excited that I’m able to give her this last wish,” Walker told WFSB. “It’s important to her, so it’s important to us.”
