Of all the things you’d never expect to see in a hospital, a horse is probably toward the top of the list. However, earlier this week, University College Hospital London made an exception for one of its younger patients.
Lizzi Jordan, 19, has been hospitalized for over eight weeks. At first, she thought she had a bad stomach bug. However, it turns out she has E. Coli. Lizzi has spent most of the past two months in the intensive care unit. She’s had multiple organs begin to fail and has lost her eyesight.
Chloé Jordan, Lizzi’s sister, describes her as a “passion equestrian,” and laments the fact that she hasn’t been able to have any time around a horse in over three months. So Lizzi’s family teamed up with the Riding for the Disabled Association to arrange for a horse to visit Lizzi in the hospital.
“So our wonderful yard manager, Tina,” Chloé wrote on Facebook, “managed to box a horse up to central London and get permission to bring him into the hospital.”
The vehicle carrying the horse parked in an ambulance bay. Tina and several hospital workers then helped to guide the horse into the hospital and into an elevator that took it up 13 floors to Lizzi’s room.
Chloé posted video of the horse strolling through the hospital on her Facebook page. As you can see from the videos, someone followed the horse with a shovel just in case nature called.
“Slightly surreal!” Chloé write on Facebook. “How lovely for Lizzi to have a familiar smell and touch of a horse. Certainly a first for this hospital!
“Massive thanks to everyone involved in the surprise, and for infection control/everyone high up in the hospital for letting it happen. Merry Christmas gorgeous girl and you’ll be back cuddling Liffey/Berry before you know it.”
Hopefully, a visit from a horse is just what Lizzi needs to feel better and get on the road to recovery.