Hospice grants 79-year-old woman’s dying wish to see her horse one last time

BETHANY, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A 79-year-old woman on hospice got her final wish – to see her beloved horse one last time.

Karina Courtmanche’s dying wish was to be reunited with her horse Bella, who lives on a small farm in Bethany, Connecticut.

Courtmanche has owned 30-year-old Bella since the horse was a baby.

Courtmanche is in hospice care with not much time left, her caretakers said.

Michelle Walker, RN Case Manager for Connecticut Hospice, said Courtmanche told her of her wish to see her beloved horse again.

“We were talking with her, and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella,” Walker said.

Walker worked with Courtmanche’s nursing home to grant her final wish. The teams coordinated a way to get her to the farm one last time, including an ambulance ride so she could remain on a stretcher and receive care during the ride.

Once at the farm, Courtmanche got to see Bella again, petting her nose and feeding her a carrot.

“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,” Walker said.

Once Courtmanche passes, Bella will continue to be cared for at Bittersweet Farm.

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