Franciscan Health Center (07/20/10, Duluth, MN)

7/20/10 Outreach Visit to Franciscan Health Center in Duluth MN by Paula Moore

“She is fertilizing right now,” was the term used by a resident describing Magic’s 5 minute break in her trailer…

The residents had a lot more to say about Magic:

· “Oh I thought you were bringing in a puppy…that‘s a horse”

· “She’s every little girl’s dream.”

· “She’s so well behaved…I wish my daughters were like that.” (Resident looking at the daughter who was pushing her wheelchair.)

· “This is the highlight of my week.”

· “She really is Magic.”

· “I’m terrified of big horses.”

· “Do we get to keep her???”

· “Nice looking hooves.”

· “Do you want to come in bed with me?”

· “She’ too cute?”

· “Does she bite?”

· “You’re quite the little critter…Get a picture of me with this critter.

· “I didn’t know they made horses this small.”

· What the hell…a horse?”

· “She needs a shave. No lady should have hairs this long.”

· “I will give you the name of my hairdresser.”

· “She is a darling. She winks at you—and blinks her 2 eyes.”

· “Take Magic home with you.”(Resident said to his daughter)

It was another fun time at The Franciscan Health Center. We were there a year ago on 4/17/2009 with Jeff and Magic. Most of the staff and some residents remembered Magic. A physical therapist came on her day off just to see Magic again. “You are just as beautiful as ever.” she said. She hugged Magic for about 5 minutes, took pictures with her cell phone, and then started bringing her patients out of their rooms to see Magic. She did not want them to miss seeing Magic.

From last year we learned not to have the residents arranged in a circle. Most are in wheelchairs. The space was so tight and Magic could not get as close as needed to be petted. I had asked the activity director to just let Magic walk the halls and greet everyone and go in the rooms along the way. A great plan…except for the excitement in the air!!!!

I walked in to announce that we were here. Magic got through the entry way but just as she entered the hall by the office, wheelchairs came out of nowhere. Some were by the residents but others were by the staff. Magic was stuck in this hallway surrounded by wheel chairs and lots of staff with cell phones taking pictures of them with Magic, and staff going back and forth to get residents out of rooms.

They had a 7^th grade volunteer guarding Magic’s butt from getting rear-ended and she did a good job. She had horses of her own. Magic had the trust of the staffers who had to get through. We were stalled by the medicine cart and they thought nothing of walking past her rump.

It was hard to say move back when you hear, “I am so excited.” “She’s finally here.” “I don’t want to miss her.” One example was a woman who could not make it up to Magic because her walker could not make it through the congestion. A staff member brought her a chair to sit on a few feet down the hall. We her promised Magic would come to her. Every time I looked up, her chair was a few inches closer. I do not know how but her chair somehow made it around the medicine cart right by Magic. We laughed so hard when she took Magic’s halter in both her hands, bent over with her face on Magic’s nose, looking eye to eye with Magic and said, “You finally came to me.” NO WAY…It was really the other way around. She was determined to make her way to Magic inch by inch.

The activity director ran through the battery of 2 cameras and a film camera taking pictures of each resident with Magic. Last year after our visit, the activity director made a big collage on the wall of all the resident pictures with Magic. Then with the rest of the pictures she made a scrap book. It was very well done. Kathi really liked it.

So many of the residents wanted to make sure they got a picture with Magic. The activity director said that collage she made got so much use and she planned to do the same this year.

The staff was incredible. They were so bubbly. It is a lively place. This was the first time Carole was the handler for Magic in a nursing home. She says it is way different than doing schools. You could tell Carole loved it. She was beaming the whole time.

Some people in their rooms were not ready for us but they said please come back. We did. Visitors asked that we come see their parent when they were ready and so I wrote down room numbers. We made it back to them.

When you walk into the entry way there are big trees and flowers and ferns…all fake. Of course Magic tried to grab some foliage or as one of the staff members said ROUGHAGE as she came in. She did not succeed. Kathi was quick.

However as we were leaving, Magic did succeed. Carole was not so quick and just never thought well behaved tired Magic would do this. NOW Carole knows that Magic had been making her diabolical plan the whole 2 ½ hours she was working. Magic proved she can multi-task. She did grab a long fern. She pulled it all the way out. She was caught red handed with this long fake fern leaf hanging out of her mouth. She looked so cute and GUILTY. Carole pulled it out of her mouth. As the activity director saw this all unfolding Kathi covered up for Magic by pointing at the sign in the garden and saying ”IT DOESN’T SAY DON’T EAT THEM. “And then Carole chimed in with “IT JUST SAYS DON’T PICK THEM.” We all laughed so hard.

WE ARE INVITED BACK. In fact we are going back in Sept. I bet there will be a new sign: DO NOT PICK OR EAT THE FLOWERS. Kathi asked them if we could bring Jazz for a try out. The activity director agreed. Jazz is untested house broken wise and they have all bare floors and exits are close just in case.

The janitor was teased so much. He was such a good sport. The place was so clean. As we were going down the hall, a man wanted to pet Magic, but he had a glass of water in his hand for taking his pill. He took the pill and then went to pet Magic, the water spilled all over him and the floor. Magic did not even flinch. The man sure did. Kathi saw the janitor was around the corner cleaning a room. Kathi yells “Clean-up.” He comes with a mop and a determined face. Kathi is smiling…”only water. The man spilt it from a cup. It wasn’t Magic” It was a good laugh and the janitor broke out in a big smile. The resident blamed it on Magic.

The rooms were nice and big. There was lots of equipment with noises but they did not seem to bother Magic at all. She has really gotten comfortable. She has a system now where she rests her nose on the edge of a wheelchair or her nose rests lightly on a knee all very gentle. No one complains. She also knows how to place her head just right on a bed with very little effort. She uses very little physical energy but emotionally she takes in so much and you can see her get tired at the end of a visit.

When Kathi brought her out of the trailer for the first time, Kathi said Magic must have rolled in the trailer. She was full of shavings. No worries though. The residents loved picking the shavings out of her forelock and mane. One woman was doing a great job of it and her daughter reminded her mom that she did this to her all the time when she was young. (picking out hay)

A resident in her room told us, “The one who visited me at home wanted carrots.” Out came a bag of carrots which we fed to Magic after the outreach was done.

Carole was really proud of a resident who would not pet Magic the first time but did when we met her again in the hall. She did it with a smile and proudly said, “It is the first time I petted a horse.”

There were some pesky flies that followed Magic around. The staff said that the when the automatic door open, sand flies come in. Magic kept itching her back leg a lot. It looked so funny to see her little thin back legs crossed.

The floor was a bit slippery too. Magic did slide several times but always kept her composure. We even have a very funny picture of her using her hind leg to scratch all the way up to her ear. It was not lady like and her mane was a mess.

There were a lot of residents who were hard of hearing. You had to really shout and repeat things. With one woman we were trying to get her to move a bit so Magic could get up close to her. She kept repeating “I don’t understand… I don’t understand… I don’t understand… I don’t understand…” Staff checked her hearing aide. It was turned off. It was then turned on. Carole bought Magic up close to the woman. She got a big smile on her face. ”Oh now I understand.”Carole and I talked to her. She kept saying, “She wants something to eat.” “She wants something to eat.” Every walker and wheelchair had a basket on it filled with food.

Carole hit the nail on the head when she made this observation: Magic could bring a Halloween trick or treat bag and it would get filled up pretty quickly here. I was given crackers, carrots, and candy for Magic. We had to explain that Magic was working now but later she would get a snack on the way home.

One guy who loved Magic and was cracking jokes while petting her, gave me crackers to give to her later. He went back to his room but then followed us down the hall. We talked about tomatoes and gardening. He asked if we were going to breed Magic. I said no. He replied, “Well she is so small and she might have a hard time of it. She is a good old gal.” The last thing he told me was “Cut her hair and sell it. She has too much of it. Make a rug and sell it. Or you could make fur liners. You would get a lot for it. Get it on Ebay.”

One woman kept her hand underneath Magic’s nose for the longest time. She smiled every time Magic blew hot air on her. A man next to her waiting his turn became impatient to meet Magic. He yelled to the staff, “I want her to quit horsing around.”

Some of the residents’ rooms had portable air conditioners. Magic and all of us lingered a while in those rooms. When we left we always got a “Shut the door.”

One of these residents with an air conditioner, when ask if he wanted a horse to come in to visit him replied with a very loud robust, “What the hell is going on? “ But the minute he saw Magic, his voice was a soft, “Hello Buddy.” We talked awhile. He told us about how he and a friend would go horse backing riding on a trail up north. They had to bring pistols every time because of timber wolves. When we left he was outside having a cigarette. Trish had to walk one of her dogs and so they continued to talk.

One bedridden patient saw Magic and his face broke into a smile so wide. He said to Magic, “Come up on my lap.” And he made the motion with his hands on his lap. The activity director said, “You know that is a horse right.” He said yeh and smiled and then put out both his hands and said to Magic, “Come ‘mere baby.”

One staff guy wanted to know about Magic. He heard us talking about how Magic was a rescue. He wondered how she could be so nice and even tempered. He said it is amazing how she can forgive…”She sure could teach people a lesson about forgiveness.”

Staff asked one man lying in bed if he wanted to keep Magic in his room. He said, “Oh Yes.” “Where would you keep her?” He said “Kick the patient out next door. He is too loud anyways and Magic is quiet.” “What about the poop?” He replied, “My 2 daughters will do the pooper scooping.”

Several staff complimented their residents as having the “Magical touch with Magic.” Magic stayed put and crooked her leg for the longest time. She was so relaxed and felt safe. One man got Magic’s itchy spot. “I know it is right here by her ear. You are something else you know that.” He kept saying to Magic.

As we walked down the back halls going into rooms of people who were bedridden, people who had pet Magic in the front hall way were lined up to repet Magic again. It was so heartwarming to see how much they enjoyed the experience. That is one of the many reasons we are coming back so soon.

A staff member said her Great Dane is bigger than Magic.

Many residents wanted pictures of them with Magic to show their family a horse was in the building. One man asked to see the picture taken by the digital camera. He looked. “Is that a picture of me? Well the horse looks better.”

Again Magic stayed longer with a woman who was bed ridden and never leaves her room. She was lying on her side dressed nicely looking out the window. She rolled over and sighed. Magic was waiting for her. She pet Magic. The staff asked her if they should get a mini horse for the building. She said, “Yes and he can stay in my room.” When we left she gave Magic one last pet and looked directly in Magic’s eye and said, “I BELIEVE YOU ARE MAGIC.” Both Gramma Carole and I notice her chin quivering when she said this.

One woman bossily told Magic, “Come on kiss me.” She told me a story of how her husband was so lovey dovey one day and told her he was bringing something home to keep her company. She thought it had to be a cat. It was a chicken.

As we were leaving staff told us how nice to see all the smiles and hear residents making conversations. As we were leaving one resident shouted, “See you tomorrow …maybe.” One staff member said to another “And a dog will never be as exciting again around here.”

After the outreach Kathi suggested Magic cool off in Lake Superior. The Franciscan Health Center is located on a sand bar about 4-5 miles long which is called Park Point. You get to Park Point by crossing a bridge that lifts up to let in big ocean and laker ships. The Franciscan Health Center is on the lake side but across the road is the Bay of Lake Superior. Kathi had scoped out the bay part during a Magic potty break and found a wooden pier going way out on the lake. Kathi and Magic went a long ways out on the pier surrounded by deep cold freezing blue Lake Superior water. Magic had complete trust in Kathi. Magic showed no hesitation. Trish Poylio got some great photos of the two of them.

Then Kathi noticed another pier but it was a grassy one jutting out in Lake Superior. She and Magic walked out on that too as far as it went until it hit the rocks. There was a family of geese swimming by. Magic ate grass. It was another amazing scene…a little mini horse way out there with the vast lake and the high bridge and boats in the background. We have great pictures of that too.

There was a little sandy beach there too. Of course Kathi had to see if Magic could swim…well walk in the water. I quickly took my shoes and socks off and Magic and I went wading in the water. It did not take much of a pull to get her in. She did not fuss. She drank. She slurped. She walked with me. She kicked the water around. Kathi told me, “Go deeper but make sure she is on the shore side and you are in the deeper part.” Kathi is so protective of Magic. Trish said I had to be in the deep end. It was all for the cause. After about 10 minutes it was time to get going. We drove 3 miles to go across the lift bridge to Duluth only to find we got BRIDGED. A laker was coming in and the bridge was up. We had to wait 20 minutes to cross over into the city of Duluth.