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Horse, pony visit terminally ill Arlington Heights woman — in her house

When Carole Knanishu was young, she had a horse named Cherry.

There is a long-told family story about the day Carole's sister let Cherry into the house to get something to eat, leaving telltale hoof prints behind on the kitchen floor.

On Tuesday, Knanishu, now 73 and terminally ill, had not just a horse but also a pony in her Arlington Heights home — and again it was a day her family will cherish.

Knanishu has suffered from multiple sclerosis for decades. This week, Knanishu's hospice workers told her children she had only a few days left. Knowing his mother dearly loved horses but hadn't seen or touched one for many years, Knanishu's son David Olson reached out to friends at Glory Bound Rescue Ranch in Marengo.

They made the horse house call happen on Tuesday afternoon with barely a day's notice. Olson and his sister, Leslie Berg, taped cardboard to the kitchen floors in case of a horse-sized accident and built a ramp from the back sliding door.

“It was quite a circus,” Olson said as grandchildren, friends, caretakers and a horse named Carmel and a pony named Little Foot crowded into his mother's kitchen. Despite being largely bedridden, Knanishu rallied. She was able to pet and feed the horses, and then watched them give her youngest family members rides in the backyard.

“She just kept saying 'Wow,'” Olson said. “There were a lot of tears.”

The family told Knanishu about the visit Monday night after a long, painful day.

“It's amazing to see how having something to look forward to changed her whole demeanor,” Berg said. “She woke up so excited, which is something we had not seen for a long time.

“It felt really special. It felt like a really nice gift and I was so glad to be there to share it with her. This was just the coolest experience ever.”

Knanishu's third child, a son who lives overseas, tuned in via FaceTime and will fly in later this week to be with his family.

Glory Bound wouldn't take any money for the visit, and volunteer Donna Teer said the organization has never done a home visit like this before.

“It was an honor to bring the horses and make her wish come true,” Teer said. “We know how powerful our horses are and Carole understands that connection. She is just a beautiful soul and we're glad we could bring some happiness to her family.”

  Carole Knanishu of Arlington Heights, is treated with a visit by two horses, including Carmel, inside her home Tuesday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  "Wow," Carole Knanishu kept saying, as a horse and pony visited her Tuesday in her very own Arlington Heights kitchen. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Carole Knanishu of Arlington Heights, who has multiple sclerosis, is treated to a visit by two horses, including Carmel, inside her home Tuesday. With her is Donna Teer, left, from Glory Bound Rescue, Marengo. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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