“The bird gave him no choice”: How an owl gave the boy the opportunity to fight for his life

Briton Alex Goodwin has been through too much for one 11-year-old boy.

When he was 8 years old, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and then underwent painful chemotherapy as well as surgical procedures and radiation therapy.

It was often very difficult for Alex to cope with all the misfortune, but the therapeutic or healing owls provided him with tremendous support.

These owls were specially trained to participate in the program of animal therapy, that is, treatment with the help of animals.

At first, Alex had a little owl named Murray. The owner of Murray Anita Morris herself read on social networks about the sick boy and suggested Murray as Alex ‘temporary pet, so that Alex would take care of the bird, walk with her and forget about his illnesses.

Anita works as a psychologist who is convinced that such therapy is extremely useful for healthy and especially for sick children. Since 2005, Anita has maintained her special nursery for therapeutic owls, Hack Back CIC.

According to Jeff, the boy’s father, caring for an owl became a real moral support for his son. “For Alex, this was another important reason to fight and keep on living.”

Alex went through very painful procedures, which he even had nightmares about at night, and moved around in a wheelchair.

After an eagle owl, Murray Anita took a barn owl for Alex and then he had an African eagle owl and a tiny white-faced owl. Alex ‘s rehabilitation was encouraging, the boy got out of his wheelchair and got seriously carried away working with owls.

Along with her therapy owls, Anita frequently visits various institutions, including schools and prisons. One of her first experiences was working with eight convicted women.

“convicted for minor crimes and punished very severely. But by the end of my work, their condition had completely changed. They realized that they could achieve something significant.”

Anita also spends a lot of time with autistic children. Birds don’t judge them and always fly to them no matter what. They fly to a normal person and a person with a severe disability. There is no difference for them and it makes a big difference for everyone.” Impression. “

In recent years, many hospitals in the United Kingdom have introduced an animal therapy program. Previously, this practice was only widespread in the United States. To participate in the program, they take not only familiar cats and dogs, but also ponies, rabbits, birds and even alpacas.