A horse who spent many years in pain recently celebrated her 44th birthday in style with cakes and decorative headgear. It's safe to say Faith was spoiled.

Not only has the white horse reached a huge milestone, but she also marked the occasion cancer-free and has spent the last four years living at a loving sanctuary in Coconut Creek, Florida.

The founder of Lucky Horse Sanctuary in Coconut Creek, Dr. Blair Barone, who is also a licensed clinical psychologist, discussed Faith's journey with Newsweek.

"Usually, horses live into their 20s; 30 is considered old and lucky," she said. "To make it to 44 with the issues she has had is unbelievable."

In 2020, Barone was told about Faith, who was listed for free online, which is "never a good sign for the horse," she said. "Animal control had been called on her hundreds of times at her previous owners. Faith was in deplorable condition when she came to us; she arrived with bite marks and wounds. She was underweight and looked like a starvation case."

Faith's teeth were overgrown, making it difficult for her to eat, and she also had untreated Equine Cushing's disease, more accurately referred to as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). This condition affects the pituitary gland -- a hormone-producing gland located at the base of the brain.

Sadly, her health problems didn't stop there, as the sanctuary staff noticed tumors on her skin.

Barone told Newsweek: "She probably had cancer well before she was diagnosed, but we saw it immediately when she arrived at Lucky Horse.

"Sarcomas are common for lighter horses due to their skin and can be treated with creams and lotions, but hers went untreated for a long time."

She underwent stem cell treatments and surgeries that miraculously cured her cancer, despite her age. Her full story has been documented and shared on pet supply retailer Chewy's YouTube channel (@Chewy), as the company threw Faith's birthday party at the start of this month.

The video features Barone and other staff members, who not only speak about Faith's past, but the present too.

Today, she provides equine therapy for people struggling with PTSD or addiction issues, as well as children with developmental disorders.

Barone told Newsweek: "This is where the magical part about horses as therapy animals comes into play. They call horses the thousand-pound lie detector test, and they can read our feelings and subconscious minds.

"Horses are very good at reading people, and at her age, Faith was exceptional at reading people. She naturally was very good at connecting with people and became a therapy horse very quickly.

"People identify with Faith's story - many of the people she works with have been abused by people they trusted; people who were supposed to help them and love them.

"When our patients hear what Faith has been through, they really feel a sense of calm, understanding, and connection. She is super intuitive."