Canes and cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and so on the little horse Trilli. They are the animals hired for the pet therapy in the hospice cheer team Casa Vidas And Children’s Relief Housewhich welcome incurable patients in an advanced stage, adults and children.
The horse Trilli gives a smile to the incurable children in the Vidas hospices
In her name, inspired by that of the famous fairy from Peter Pan, there is all the sense of the mission of this 11-year-old chestnut Shetland pony. Give a pinch of magic to adults and especially to seriously ill children. This is the meaning of pet therapy in places like these. Giving a small, albeit temporary, relief from physical and psychological suffering to sick people. But also to their family members, who suffer with them every day, and to the operators and volunteers who take care of them.
Vidas, which has been assisting incurable patients and their families free of charge for 40 years, introduced theto pet therapy to support palliative care already in 2012 (in Casa Vidas). And then, since her birth in 2019, she also took her to the pediatric hospice.
Pediatric palliative care and pet therapy
Casa Sollievo Bimbi is made up of 6 mini apartments for families of young patients whose socio-environmental conditions do not allow home care. In the common spaces they can socialize, and at all times they are supported byteam specialized in pediatric palliative carewhich takes care of every aspect medical, emotional and educational of their life. In a certain sense, Trilli &Co. are also part of this team.
Today this co-therapy takes place four times a week in collaboration with specialized operators of Balancing yourself APS Pet-Therapyan association that deals with hippotherapy, animal-assisted interventions and equestrian rehabilitation.
In addition to Tinker Bell, they are part of the pet therapy team also dogs and guinea pigs. And over the years, however, they have also “served”. rabbits, cats and even chickens.
There’s a horse in the hallway! The emotion of pet therapy
Trilli arrives at Vidas hospices once a month. Since she was a filly she has had specific training to be able to move in any environment, so that she was already in the ward at the age of 4. Her size allows her to be caressed and cuddled by all sick people, even those most in difficulty, unable to move from beds and aids.
First the surprise, the curiosity. Then a caress, a pat, a carrot: the presence of Tinkerbell can really change the day of those who are hospitalized and spend the day between one therapy and waiting for the next, without the prospect of leaving.
«The interaction with the pony creates amazement and extraordinary emotions: we are not in the habit of meeting such large animals in similar contexts”, explains Lia Biagetti, head of hospitalization at Casa Vidas. «I still remember when the daughter of a guest lady understood that his mother hadn’t had a hallucination due to her serious health conditions: there really was a pony in the corridor!»
Daniela Beretta, head of Equi-librarsi APS, also has more than one anecdote to tell. «One day they called us from Casa Sollievo Bimbi for an emergency. A guest child no longer spoke or ate: he only wanted the pony Tinker Bell. We took her to him and stayed in his room for almost an hour. At the end the little one exclaimed: Mommy, I’m hungry! Is Tinker Bell really magical?
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