Hospice Patient Gets A Visit From Her Beloved Rescue Pony

19 years ago, Tracey Plumb rescued a shabby foal by trading a saddle for her. She named the pony Lucy and raised her into a lovely show winner, competing together across the UK. Sadly, Tracey and Lucy have been separated by illness. Tracey - who is just 45 - has end-stage cancer and resides at Sue Ryder St. John's Hospice in Bedfordshire. Thanks to the devotion of a friend and the kindness of the hospice, Tracey was able to reunite with Lucy for a final, emotional visit.

Tracey told The Comet:

“I said I would like to see Lucy again and my friend Susie said dogs and cats visit the hospice so why not a pony? We asked the ground and maintenance team leader and he was happy for Lucy to visit.”

Lucy was brought to the 15 bed facility where she and Tracey met up on the beautifully landscaped lawn.

“It was so lovely to see Lucy, it made my day, my week and my year," Tracey said. "It was the escapism it gave me to get away for a few minutes and not be the person with cancer, it was some normal time.”

Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice’s head of clinical services, Tracey Haddock, said that the facility, which relies on fundraising, encourages friends and family to bring patients' pets to visit.

“We go the extra mile to make Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice feel like a home from home. We are more than happy to meet patient’s requests and were delighted to welcome Lucy on her visit to see Tracey. Their reunion was lovely, you could see the strong bond between the two of them.”

After the visit, Tracey reminisced about her days competing with Lucy. She said:

“Lucy and I have been everywhere and we have done everything in hand showing, as she is too small for me to ride. She was always guaranteed to come home with an armful of rosettes and trophies. I never expected it, I just went for a great day out.”

H/T to The Comet

Featured Image via Sue Ryder St. John's Hospice