Last Sunday, the weather was perfect! The sky was a stunning blue, there was a fresh breeze, the sun was shining, and we had a few hundred visitors from all over the world who came to hug our cows, give the pigs tummy rubs, feed our horses, and cuddle our turkey, Claire. One of the visitors, however, touched my heart so deeply that I had to share her story. 

When she came to meet me after my presentation, she announced triumphantly that she had just survived cancer! I could not believe it, a real live hero standing in front of me! She said that it had been scary and the battle to overcome her challenge was long and hard. While she was undergoing seven months of chemotherapy, she watched a lot of videos and some of them that she found on YouTube were videos of what animals go though in the meat and dairy industry. After watching a few of them, she decided that if she survived she would adopt a plant-based diet and not only heal her body but help animals. She said that now that she is cleared of cancer, her hair is growing back, and she is feeling well again, she is sharing her story so that others can be healthier and kinder to animals. 

She came to visit The Gentle Barn to hug and kiss all the animals that she is helping to save with her new diet and celebrate life with them, after all, the animals at The Gentle Barn are survivors too! After visiting with us she decided to volunteer with us and we can’t wait to have her here as part of our family. The more people and animals I meet, the more I realize that everyone has a story and there are heroes and angels everywhere!

Written by Ellie Laks

Founder, The Gentle Barn