Back in 2022, Audrie Spake’s father, João, had been struggling with multiple health issues that left him bedridden.
While his doctors did everything they could to support his recovery, João also had a very special visitor who aimed to heal something even more important — his heart.
That visitor’s name was Paçoca.
Paçoca is a therapy horse who works with volunteers from the nonprofit Coletivo Inclusão, a group dedicated to supporting people with special needs. And as anyone who has met a gentle, loving animal knows, the difference such visits can make is extraordinary.
Spake shared a touching video capturing the moment Paçoca came to see her father. The horse seemed to sense exactly what João needed, gently resting against his chest in a quiet exchange of comfort and affection.
“He was like that with my father the whole time,” Spake wrote. “It was beautiful!”
It was clearly a visit João won’t soon forget — a moment of pure, soothing connection. And hopefully, its impact will extend far beyond just memory.
More and more, medical professionals are recognizing the remarkable benefits therapy animals can provide to patients’ health and well-being.
“Animal-assisted therapy can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue in people with a range of health problems,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “And it’s not only people with health problems who reap the benefits. Family members and friends who sit in on animal visits say they feel better, too.”
