To say Mary Ann King was looking forward to her special visitor鈥檚 arrival at the Melville Hospice Home Friday (June 5) would be an understatement.

The senior said she slept surprisingly well the night before, woke early in anticipation of the 2 p.m. affair and was good to go 鈥� including decked out in full riding gear 鈥� hours before Violet set hoof in the South 性视界传媒 facility鈥檚 courtyard.

And though the Arabian mare was a tad delayed, when the face-to-muzzle moment finally arrived, the joy it created for King and those fortunate enough to witness the occasion was almost tangible.

鈥淎w, this is incredible, brings tears to my eyes,鈥� said Diane Giesbrecht, a friend of King鈥檚 since the pair met by chance in hospital in late March.

鈥淚 feel very privileged to be part of this.鈥�

For King, whose memory is jam-packed from her days as a dressage rider and the countless hours she spent with her own two horses 鈥� 鈥渋t was a labour of love,鈥� she said 鈥� the visit was more than an opportunity to once again feel the equestrian closeness that is so much a part of her being, however.

She hopes the attention it catches will also raise awareness of the condition 鈥� AL amyloidosis 鈥� that led her to the newly opened 15-bed hospice, and possibly help others who find themselves with the same diagnosis.

鈥淣ot only is it wonderful to have the horse here, I wanted to bring attention to the disease I have,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been around, but nobody鈥檚 known about it because it鈥檚 been so rare.鈥�

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Caused by a bone-marrow disorder, AL amyloidosis creates abnormal proteins that deposit in and around tissues, nerves and organs. In King鈥檚 case, it targeted her heart and kidneys, leading to severe heart dysfunction and end-stage kidney failure.

The 67-year-old鈥檚 journey with AL amyloidosis began two years ago.

鈥淲orking my two horses, all of a sudden I was getting exhausted. And that鈥檚 how it started,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 remember saying to the doctor, I don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 wrong, but something isn鈥檛 right.鈥�

A bone-marrow biopsy provided the answer, and two rounds of chemotherapy followed 鈥� but King doesn鈥檛 think those helped. After a fall at home in March landed her in hospital, 鈥渆verything that I knew is gone,鈥� she said.

Treatment can reduce symptoms, and since being at the hospice, medications have helped reduce dizziness and seizures that King had been experiencing due to low blood pressure, and enabled her to build her strength.

鈥淪he literally couldn鈥檛 even prop herself up,鈥� nurse practitioner Brenda Eraut said.

Still, 鈥渢he doctor said it鈥檚 terminal for me,鈥� King said.

King encouraged anyone who feels that something isn鈥檛 right with their own bodies to not just ignore the feeling.

鈥淕et it checked out, no matter what,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f it saves your life鈥︹��

King doesn鈥檛 know how much time she has left but said she plans to stick around 鈥渁s long as God wants me.鈥�

Friday, she made the most of her time with Violet, nuzzling the gentle giant, leading her around the courtyard and feeding her baby carrots.

鈥淲hat a good girl, what a good girl,鈥� King cooed.

Wishing she could go for a ride, King playfully 鈥� but with definite sincerity 鈥� promised Eraut she wouldn鈥檛 sue if they made the dream a reality.

Eraut couldn鈥檛 grant the request, of course, but she teared up when she spoke to Peace Arch News about how meaningful the day was to all involved.

All of the patients at the hospice are 鈥渓ike family鈥� to those who are there to help them through those final months, days and hours, she said, and it was 鈥渟o beautiful鈥� to see the impact that the visit organized by King鈥檚 care team had.

鈥淲hen she started talking about her horse, she just lit up,鈥� Eraut said, of conversations she鈥檚 shared with King since her arrival at the Peace Arch Hospice Society-supported facility a month ago. 鈥淭o have this whole team bring this gift to her, it鈥檚 just such a joy.

鈥淚t takes a village to die well. This is our village.鈥�