Animals can bring so much comfort to people in their times of need. It’s no surprise that when facing the end of life, many people want nothing more than the companionship of their beloved pets.
And recently, one dying woman got a very special visit from her favorite animal.
Lisa McDonald and her sister have been caring for their sick mother, who has been in palliative care. They were looking for ways to make her final days special — and were inspired by their mother’s lifelong obsession with the classic Disney film, Bambi.
“She has Bambi statues everywhere, she is wearing a Bambi T-shirt in her bed,” Lisa wrote in a Facebook post in the group The Kindness Pandemic. “My sister and I and the rest of the family that are supporting us are also wearing Bambi T-shirts… we are calling them our nursing uniforms.”
As the mother’s health deteriorated, the family decided to surprise her with a very visit from a real-life Bambi — an actual deer!
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When the deer enters the room, the old woman is overjoyed and stunned with surprise.
The deer, who happens to be named “Bambi,” came from a petting farm operated by a couple named Chris and Simone. The deer was orphaned and hand-raised by the couple.
Lisa writes that they paid a special visit, driving two hours from Melbourne “out of pure love and kindness” just to bring some joy to the deer-loving old woman.
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“I cannot thank them enough for what they have done for my mum and my family,” Lisa wrote.
It was definitely worth it: the deer’s visit made for an unforgettable, heartwarming moment, as the mom gently pets the real-life Bambi from her bed.
It’s clear how much Bambi and deer have meant to this woman’s life, and the visit was certainly a highlight of her final days.
Her daughter says that she will keep her obsession close to her heart until the very end: Lisa writes that her mom will be cremated in one of her Bambi shirts.