Cancer Survivors Find Healing Through Donkey Cuddling

Staci Jelley spent eight hours alone during chemotherapy infusions, lived away from home for six weeks of proton therapy, and endured breast cancer treatment in pandemic isolation. Last Thursday, she found herself with a donkey's head in her lap, saying words she never expected: "I didn't know I needed this."

Jelley joined fellow breast cancer survivors at Campbell's Lane Farm in Preston, Maryland for the support group's first field trip. The activity? Donkey cuddling, a surprisingly effective form of alternative therapy that's gaining recognition among healthcare providers.

Anne Altvater, the farm's owner, holds a degree in energy psychology and has offered donkey cuddling for just over a year. She noticed something remarkable: people walk out of the donkey field differently than they walked in.

"Donkeys don't care how much money you make, they don't care what your trauma is," Altvater said. "They just see through to your most authentic self."

Altvater calls the practice a "third space," a place that fosters genuine connection without pressure or expectations. She's learned to "move at the speed of kindness" from the donkeys, a pace slow enough that the nervous system can process stimuli and feel truly calm.

The visit was organized through Women Supporting Women, a local organization that supports breast cancer survivors. Jelley joined the group's board after receiving a crucial lift chair following her reconstruction surgery in 2022, the same year she learned she was cancer-free.

Dr. Roopa Gupta, founder of Easton-based Lotus Oncology Hematology and Jelley's former oncologist, joined the group. She actively encourages patients to explore alternative healing methods like yoga, meditation, and art therapy alongside traditional treatment.

"It really is kind of like treating the whole patient, not just the disease," Gupta explained. She sees a marked difference in patients who incorporate these practices, noting reduced side effects and less anxiety throughout treatment.

Sunny's Take

Cancer's mental toll can match its physical one at every stage: the unpredictability of diagnosis, the pain of treatment, the fear that remission might be temporary. For survivors who spent treatments in isolation, the loneliness compounds everything else.

Jelley admits she's "not a naturopath girl" and won't be attending Reiki sessions anytime soon. But even she couldn't deny the empathy she felt from the donkeys, a connection that seemed to understand what words couldn't express.

Campbell's Lane Farm has received overwhelmingly positive responses, with clients regularly telling Altvater they didn't realize they needed this kind of support. For cancer survivors who spent so much time alone, being truly seen by gentle animals offers something medicine alone cannot provide.

The donkeys ask nothing and offer everything: a quiet space to simply be, no explanations required.