‘I don’t assume she is aware of what that meant’: rider with terminal most cancers savours one final horsey second


  • An equestrian who has been given weeks to dwell mentioned she couldn’t describe how a lot it meant to have one final horsey expertise.

    Suzie Valkyrie was recognized with terminal pancreatic most cancers final autumn aged 49 and informed she might need three years to dwell. She was then informed it might be 12 weeks.



    Her good friend Michelle Ross organized for her to have a go to from eight-year-old Darcy and her proprietor Gemma Almond.

    Michelle informed H&H she and Suzie have been buddies for about 30 years. They each lived in Kettering, and their kids went to the identical faculty. They rode and stored horses collectively, and fundraised in assist of the uncared for equines at Spindles Farm.

    Suzie moved away however they stored in contact, and Suzie informed Michelle of her prognosis final November.

    “She was informed about 19 years in the past she couldn’t experience once more as she had arthritis, a spinal situation and fibromyalgia,” Michelle mentioned. “She hadn’t actually been close to a horse for 13 or 14 years; hadn’t had that horse odor that all of us love.”

    Michelle runs a strangles and equine flu consciousness web page on  Fb, and she or he posted asking for anybody in Suzie’s space who had an acceptable horse.

    “The stunning Gemma Almond got here ahead right away and mentioned ‘What can I do?’” Michelle mentioned. “I informed her all about Suzie and that I used to be in search of somebody with a well-behaved horse, to take it to Wigan so she might be close to a horse once more. I organized for Suzie’s son to be there, to wheel her spherical – and I believe the video is fairly self-explanatory.”

    Having warned her son to not get her too near Darcy in case her wheelchair scared the mare, Suzie stood to fulfill Darcy and feed her treats.

    “She was utterly overjoyed,” Michelle mentioned. “After I spoke to her than evening, she seemed like a toddler – that grin! I mentioned ‘You had your horsey second’ and she or he mentioned ‘I haven’t washed my arms but’.”

    Preparations have been made for Suzie’s ashes to be scattered, some on Snowdon and a few on the gallops. However Suzie’s buddies are involved about the price of her funeral.

    “She was such a tough employee however hasn’t been in a position to work for years as a result of she’s registered disabled,” Michelle mentioned. “So our good friend Wendy has began a GoFundMe web page to pay for her funeral so it doesn’t fall on her two boys, who’re autistic. And I’m making an attempt to arrange a contingent of riders to be on the crematorium on their horses.

    “We will’t change the end result however hopefully we are able to make it as simple for Suzie as we are able to. Gemma’s a carer and such a stunning lady. Suzie requested me afterwards to thank her and she or he mentioned ‘I don’t assume she is aware of what that meant’. I mentioned ‘Sure, she does’.”

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