Hospital visit by a pony? That’s neigh problem!
AFTER 13 weeks in hospital with a dangerous strain of E.coli, keen rider Lizzi Jordan was desperately missing her beloved horses.
So the 20- year- old was delighted when friends arranged a surprise visit – from a pony.
Not only that, but it was in her ward on the 13th floor.
Images show Moses, 14 hands high and wearing tinsel and a santa hat, being guided into University College London Hospital through the ‘ambulances only’ corridor into A&E.
He is then led into a lift and calmly makes his way up the building to be introduced to an incredulous but smiling Miss Jordan.
The psychology student from Guildford, Surrey, had contracted a rare strain of E.coli in September which left her in a critical condition with major organ failure, including her heart. She spent two months in a coma and was left visually impaired.
With the help of UCLH staff, her local Riding for the Disabled Association group and the stables she uses arranged Wednesday’s visit from Moses. Her sister Chloe, 22, who also contracted the infection but recovered within days, said: ‘She desperately misses her horses and she asks about them every day.
‘Because of her sight she couldn’t see but she could smell the pony from around the corner. She asked me if I had been to the stables, thinking it was me.
‘She loved it. She kept saying, “Oh my god, is that really a horse?” It brought her out of her shell and it was nice to see a smile on her face.
‘As we are not sure what will happen with her sight, she has been worried that she won’t be able to continue with her horses. This just showed her that she can still interact with them and helped her confidence. We are so thankful.’
The pony from the Stella Hancock Driving Group, which organises carriage driving for the disabled, was boxed and made its way to London from Dorking. At the hospital he was accompanied by someone with a poop scoop to clear up any accidents.
The idea for the visit came from Tina Brine, who manages Woodside Stables where Miss Jordan rides. ‘I knew it was a mad thing to do but we wanted to do something for Lizzi and aid her recovery,’ she said. ‘I was amazed the hospital came back and said yes.
‘Moses really lifted her spirits and also brought a lot of joy to other people in the hospital. We had to keep stopping so people could take pictures.’ With Miss Jordan on the road to recovery, her family hope she can return home in the new year.
The Jordans have their own horse called Liffey and Lizzi also part owns another named Berry. Chloe said: ‘As the two horses are a bit temperamental, it wouldn’t have been possible to bring them into the hospital. But Moses did a great job and Lizzi loved it.’
A UCLH spokesman said: ‘ We aim to go the extra mile for our patients and worked closely with our infection control team to make this possible.’
The Jordans are raising money for the RDA. To donate visit www. rda-southeastregion.org.uk.