For those of you that know and love Anne Johnson, you may know that she was diagonosed with inoperable cancer 2 1/2 years ago. Recently, she has had several cancer-related setbacks that have culminated in her passing. Dallas and Donna Keen of Remember Me Rescue have graciously agreed to to provide her horses a forever home. It is expensive to care for horses, which is why we are kindly asking for your financial support to assist in Anne's final wishes.

Let me tell you a little about Anne, her horses and how important they are to her.

Anne has an incredibly vast range of likes and interests, a love for all things unique and intriguing and she loves all animals, big and small. She has had several dogs and cats, has saved birds -egrets and herons- but one of her main loves is that of horses. She worked at a horse farm in her teenage years while living in South Carolina. She brought that love of horses with her when she and her family moved to Texas. She has “pet sat” horses on many occasions for friends and for those who don’t know, taking care of horses is not easy! But for Anne it is, because she loves it! Every part of it!

Upon graduating college, Anne received the perfect gift from a very close friend. She was gifted her first “baby”, a Thoroughbred named Nugget. She is a horse that Anne had taken care of and loved for many years. Nugget is such a pretty horse with a temperament very close to Anne’s. They were perfect for each other.

When Nugget was around 10 years old, Anne started looking into breeding Nugget and possibly putting her foal, when the time came, into race training. Anne does nothing on a whim, she does nothing without research and she does nothing that she isn’t completely committed to. So, the research began, calls were made, talks with the “right” people happened and more research put into motion finding the perfect match for Nugget. When the right match was found, Nugget was successfully bred and the result was a healthy baby boy who she named Hero’s Crown, otherwise affectionately known as “H.C.” or “Hero”. Her friends felt a special little bond with HC as she sent out a poll with a couple of names to pick from to help her select the perfect name for the new foal. Anne absolutely loves her horses and has always felt such peace spending time with and caring for them. She has even had professional pictures taken of them for Christmas cards – it’s that kind of love.

HC went into race training with Dallas and Donna Keen and during this time, Anne became fast friends with them. While HC’s racing career has ended, her friendship with them has not. The Keen’s operate an organization called Remember Me Rescue, which is a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Accredited organization specializing in rehabilitation. This is their mission statement that I have taken from their website. “The Remember Me Retired Racehorse Program was formed by racehorse trainers and volunteers to assist retired and injured racehorses after their careers at the track are over. We accept, rehabilitate, and retrain ex-racehorses with the hopes of finding them new homes with responsible owners. Remember Me has been a 501(c)3 since 2008 and accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance since 2014.”

Why am I telling you all of this about Anne and her horses?

In 2019, Anne had an MRI for some ongoing back pain she had been having. The news she received was devastating not only to her and her family but to everyone that knows her. She was diagnosed with cancer. She began her long, exhausting days of cancer treatment right away and unfortunately, surgery was not an option. During this time, Anne NEVER asked, “why me”, she never wanted pity, never - as she says - was “poor puddy”, never said, “this is unfair” and she never wavered in her strength and resolve to get through this. I have never met anyone more courageous. I have never met anyone as strong. Even through all the effects that chemotherapy does to a person, and it did not go easy on her, you wouldn’t know it. When you spoke with her, she always sounded like “herself” and was always still very interested in those around her. Nothing was about her and the battle she was having. She did not forget a single event in our lives - birthdays, kid’s birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or even when you might be going on vacation. And true to Anne form, she was also sending the handwritten note and gift for all these events. She was ALWAYS checking in on her family and friends. And every chance she could, she spent time with her horses. She states without them she never would have made it through this time.

In January 2022, she began having further health setbacks. She has had several procedures and hospital stays, she has seen countless nurses, had many infusions, seen a ton of needles, has had countless pokes and prods but through all of this, Anne has kept her sassy spirit going. All her nurses have loved her and boy, can she make them laugh. She truly is an amazing person, the best you will ever know or meet. She is smart, funny, sooo witty, kind, and giving, I mean really, this list could go on and on but one of the most important things about Anne is the selfless love, devotion, and a fierce loyalty to her friends and family. She has literally given her last dollar to a friend, this is the kind of person she is.

Anne has NEVER been a person to ask for help. As I said before, she is extremely independent. She has always taken care of herself, made her decisions and handled everything on her own.

Unfortunately, she has had to make the incredibly hard decision to find her horses, her “babies”, a new forever home. Dallas and Donna Keen, who have had a special relationship with the horses and have known and been a friends with Anne for over a decade, have graciously offered to take the horses to their home to care for and keep them together forever. Donna did not ask for anything in return, as you can “not put a price on friendship”. There is not a more true statement than that.

But the reality is, caring for horses is not easy and it is not free. Therefore, I am reaching out to all of you. Anne did not ask for me to do this. Donna did not ask for me to do this. I am doing this because I want Anne to have the peace in her heart knowing that her horses will not be a financial burden on Donna’s shoulders.

Please help alleviate the costs of caring for her two horses, the ones that have brought so much joy to her life over the last 2 ½ decades.

All money raised will be donated to the Remember Me Rescue for the care of Anne's horses. Thank you all!

(The "goal" amount is an estimated cost of care for the horses over the next 10 years)