Bianca
Posted on 1 July 2020.This story only needs one name. Bianca, an invented name, is a woman with a history of psychological suffering who managed to find a new life at the Rifugio thanks to the contact with donkeys.
Bianca's past is difficult: hit by very serious family bereavements, a depression and a psychotic episode locked her up at home. She was unable to talk to others and take care of herself. Bianca's isolation and psychological suffering ended up generating serious consequences for her. It is in such conditions of deep suffering that social services discovered her case. Bianca was then welcomed by Anteo, a social enterprise with which the Rifugio has been collaborating for years. Anteo’s mission, among other things, is offering services in the field of mental health.
Bianca arrived at the Refuge as a user of the Assisted Interventions, carried out by our EEA department. The beginning of her journey at the Rifugio has been difficult: Bianca was silent, shy, avoided physical contact with others and was afraid of donkeys. However, since her first day at the Rifugio, the donkeys triggered something in her. Always wary and lonely, she began to approach the fences and to call the donkeys, fascinated by their presence but always sheltered by a fence. When, under the supervision of the EEA team, she entered into the paddocks, her fear was still great but the donkeys themselves approached her gently. Intrigued, they started seeking physical contact with Bianca.
Over the months, Bianca saw a radical transformation. The relationship with the donkeys, the possibility of touching them, being able to know them better, gradually broke the armour of fear and distrust with which Bianca defended herself from the world: she understood that donkeys could be trusted, because they trusted her.
In a short period of time, Bianca became the group's expert. Her fears and insecurities had disappeared and Bianca, today, has developed an authentic relationship with the "therapist" donkeys of our Rifugio: she talks with them, takes care of them, leads them knowing how to obtain the right compromise between the freedom that you have to leave to the donkeys and the will to complete a walk. She is autonomous and has developed a great mutual trust especially with Bandit. Therefore, little by little, Bianca is now regaining trust in humans too.
Stories like this are only possible thanks to the help of people who care about the welfare of donkeys and who support our work in various ways. With the 5x1000 tax return, you can also help all the guests of the Rifugio.
With your 5x1000 at the Rifugio degli Asinelli you not only heal the physical and psychological injuries of the donkeys welcomed in our sanctuary, but you also help heal many fragile people.
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