WILLOWBROOK Hospice is a place that helps people when they need the most help, and one of the ways they help others is to facilitate bucket list wishes.
The Outstanding rated hospice goes above and beyond for its patients, and last week was no different when doctors asked Julie Knowles from Sutton if she had any wishes from her bucket list she wanted to do.
To their surprise though her answer was rather unique, as it was that she wanted to kiss a donkey.
Despite the odd request, the hospice made her wish happen and thanks to Wirral-based company Alwood Donkeys, a lovely donkey called Fiona came in to the hospice into Julie’s room and Julie got to have her wish.
The Star caught up with Julie, 65, who is in the hospice due to having advanced lung and bone cancer, and she shared how the day made her smile.
The mum-of-three said: “I’ve always liked donkeys as their faces always look a little bit sad and I just always felt the need to hug one of them and cheer them up.
“So when the doctor came in the other day asking me if there was any wishes I’d like to carry out as its time then I just was honest and shared how I always wanted to kiss a donkey.
“It was a shock when later that day staff came in to say the next day a donkey will be in. It’s a good job I didn’t say how much I liked elephants as well.”
The visit went well and Fiona not only visited Julie, but came into the hospice to cheer up the other patients and staff.
Julie added: “Willowbrook is a lovely place and I can’t believe they made that happen for me.
“I’m very happy with the life I’ve had and my children so I didn’t need anything big, and now I’ve been able to kiss lovely Fiona the donkey and she was such a placid thing too.
“It really made me smile.”
Julie’s children Kerry Norton, Kristian Welsh and Thomas Welsh say the event really cheered up their mum, adding: “When she told us she had just come off medication so we thought it was the drugs wearing off, little did we know that all her life she’s had this admiration for donkeys.
“It’s made us all laugh too and we can’t thank Willowbrook enough for making that happen for her.”
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