Nelly Jacobs of the Netherlands relishes the feeling of the wind on her face as a horse thunders under her.
But her Parkinson’s diagnosis requires her to be in a wheelchair instead of on the back of a horse.
At 87 years old, Jacobs’ only wish was to be able to ride again. A group named Hidden Desires made that dream come true.
“Horses have always been important to her; ever since she was a child, until her Parkinson’s got the best of her,” Jacobs’ son Jan said.
Jacobs was introduced to horseback riding when she was 9-years-old and went on to become a prize-winning competitor.
She rode several horses during her life and was even a jumper.
She had to give up riding when she was in her 50s because of her diagnosis.
Jan, who would attend riding school with his mother, recalls her love of the smell of hay which she called “delicious.”
Hidden Desires is a project between The Care Group and Green Cross.
To grant Jacobs’ wish, Hidden Desires had to build a special carriage that would sit on top of two horses that Jacobs could lay on.
They also created a contraption that lifted Jacobs from her wheelchair and placed her on a cot on the back of two horses.
The first thing Jacobs did was meet the horses and pet their noses.
Then she was gently placed on her her carriage on the horses’ backs.
“This is a very emotional day for her,” her son said. “So she won’t be able to speak, but I can tell she loves every second of seeing the horses, smelling the stables.” d
She had a huge grin on her as she rode along on the two horses’ backs.
“Lots of memories are coming back to her,” her son said. “Her whole life revolved around horses, so through this experience, she’s able to feel the joy again and reminisce about things from her past.”
It was a big day for someone who spends most of their day in bed or wheelchair.
“These things matter to her because she must have missed it at the nursing home,” Jan said.
Jacobs said that her day was simply “wonderful.” The story about her special day was picked up by several news outlets.
The video on Inside Edition’s YouTube page was viewed more than 129,000 times.
“When I saw her beautiful smile I started crying because I understand. I’m a horseback rider and I know the love we share for our horses and our sport. I also understand the passion that you have for your dreams. The feeling of accomplishing your dream, and in such a beautiful and touching way is resonating throughout my soul and sending tears streaming down my face. This is so beautiful, especially because I understand her joy,” one commenter on YouTube wrote.
Witness the joy of Jacobs’ last horse ride in the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
