Right now, the world is at a standstill as we work together to battle the COVID-19 crisis. But despite the current craziness, the world must go on in many ways. For the good people at Hospice Buffalo in New York state, they want those in their care to still get the kindness and care they would regardless of the current state of the world.
Robert Wagner is a lover of horses and has been for as long as he can remember. Usually, the nurses at the hospice will take him for a stroll so that he can enjoy the fresh air and the flowers around the facility. He happened to tell the charge nurse named Bethany Varney about his love of horses earlier this week, and she wanted to arrange a special treat for him.
Soon after the conversation, she contacted the Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center to arrange for one of their horses to pay Mr. Wagner an unexpected visit. And the photos are enough to melt your heart. When asked what inspired Ms. Varney to arrange the special meeting, she says that,
"It is scary during this time for the elderly and already compromised. So I thought it would be something to take away all of this craziness."
The Facebook post shared by Hospice Buffalo reads:
A patient in the HIU has loved horses his entire life! Without him knowing, our charge nurse, Bethany, contacted Dr. Kerr and our friends at People’s Inc affiliate Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center and arranged for a horse to pay a visit to campus. As you can imagine, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Our staff enjoyed the experience as much as our patient!
It's clear to see that Mr. Wagner thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected surprise. When asked, he said that the, "bond still makes him feel like a kid inside." It was a random act of kindness that left many feeling overwhelmed with happiness. And for Robert, he got the opportunity to feel truly special. He even made mention that nothing like this has ever happened in his "whole life."
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I'd like to give a special thank you to Hospice Buffalo for allowing me to share their images and this wonderful story with all of our iHeartHorses readers. You guys are heroes in my book for making one man feel like a kid again during the sunset of his life.
If you'd like to learn more about Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center and the amazing work they do for those in need, you can visit their website here.
All Images Courtesy of Hospice Buffalo