A woman was granted her final wish as she was allowed to leave her hospice and see her horse one last time before she passed away.
Karina Courtmanche, a 79-year-old woman in hospice care at Mary Wade Nursing Home in New Haven, Connecticut, had her final wish granted in July.
She was able to bid a heartfelt farewell to her loyal equine companion of 28 years, a beloved horse named Bella, as reported by WTNH-TV.
Michelle Walker, RN Case Manager for CT Hospice, shared with WFSB-TV: "We were talking with her, and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella."
Karina's deep connection with her equine friend was evident, and the staff at Mary Wade was determined to make this poignant reunion happen.
With the support of Mary Wade and American Medical Response, Karina got to say goodbye to her cherished horse.
Andrew Rennie, the account executive of business development for American Medical Response, expressed: "We know the horse was very important to her, and that this was an important part of her transitioning through this final time of her life, so we're just really excited that we were able to come together with Mary Wade and CT Hospice to be able to make this happen."
Karina had been a resident at Mary Wade Home for over a year, and during her stay, she had created lasting memories with her horse. Sadly, Karina's health had deteriorated to the point where her body was failing her.
While it was a deeply emotional farewell, it brought solace to know that Bella would continue to receive loving care. After Karina's passing, Bella will find a new home at Bittersweet Farm, where she will be tended to with the same affection she provided to her owner for nearly three decades.
In a similar heartfelt story, an 85-year-old woman from Port Macquarie, Australia, was granted the opportunity to revisit the scenic coastline where she had first met her husband, just before she passed away.
As reported by 7News, Mavis was being transferred to palliative care from her home, and during the ambulance journey, she struck up a conversation with paramedics Ray Smythe and Dave Moran, sharing the cherished memory of meeting her beloved husband, Ron, on Clovelly Beach 65 years ago.
Ray, recounting the poignant moment, shared with ABC.net.au: "She mentioned her and Ron had met on Clovelly Beach, and Dave piped up from the front seat and said, 'Do you want to go via the beach?'"
They decided to detour to Flynns Beach, where Mavis had a chance to reconnect with a place that had given her the "happiest moment of her life."
Dave expressed: "It was a lovely thing to do for someone's final journey." The paramedics, however, were saddened to learn that Mavis passed away shortly after her visit to the beach. Ray shared: "She knew she was towards the end of life, but I didn't expect her to pass away the next day. So that was a shock to us."
After their heartfelt gesture, Mavis expressed her gratitude by grabbing Ray's hands and thanking him for the unforgettable experience.
