It was a beautiful moment for Nigel Latham when he could enjoy the thing he loved the most after his final wish in life was granted.
Latham, 58, had been at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia for some time but now he was going home for hospice care during his final days.
While the two paramedics, Bec Sanders and Laura, were in the process of moving him, they asked him if there was any place he wanted to visit on his final journey.
Latham told them that he wanted to see one last horse race at the Morphettville racecourse. “They asked me if I’d like to stop off anywhere on the way,” Nigel said.
“I had been watching the racing in hospital, so wanted to go there.” Latham was an avid racing enthusiast and also was a member of the South Australian Jockey Club for years and also owned shares in several racehorses.
How good is this! 🙏@MaccasMock @James_Jordan pic.twitter.com/T7nCuYWxJ6
— Racing.com (@Racing) May 1, 2021
“In normal circumstances, I would’ve been there for a great day of racing,” he explained.
He was wheeled right up to the fence at the 200m mark so that he got a brilliant view of the action. Award-winning jockey Craig Williams, who was racing that day, was to recognize Latham and ended up presenting him with a stunning gift that he won.
“Nigel Latham he was the inspiration for her success today,” Williams said. “Unfortunately Nigel … Nigel’s here, he hasn’t … he’s only got maybe days to live as I’ve been reported on. He’s come here with the ambulance people at the 200m mark all day, to do some … his last dying wish was to come to the races.
“So to Nigel Latham, I said to my, my horse if she’d get over the line, we’d make sure we give him the winning goggles and she did her job really well.”
“So it was his inspiration and we’d like to be grateful to people like Nigel who support this industry and have his last dying wish is coming here today for a great race day.”
"He's only got days to live… His last dying wish was to come to the races." ❤
This story is truly amazing. @CWilliamsJockey explains the story behind the gentleman at the 200m mark in the hospital bed. pic.twitter.com/56eL3gWitQ
— Racing.com (@Racing) May 1, 2021
Latham enjoyed the race with his wife by his side, but the goggles weren’t the only thing he received, an attendee offered him a cold beer, to cheer him up.
These sweet acts of kindness made Latham really jolly and later his wife said that he’d been on a high and that “[i]t was really lovely to see him home and happy.”
“Bec and Laura worked miracles and got me there,” Latham said. “They are commended for their care and sheer goodness of spirit.”
“Thanks to Bec and Laura for making it happen, to Ian [Ricardo, Morphettville track manager] for facilitating it,” he added in another interview.
“For Matt for the beer and for Craig for caring so much. “It was a brilliant, memorable experience with my wife by my side.”
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