Emotional Healing With The Help Of A Dolphin

by Anonymous

Winter is the name of a dolphin who was found off the coast of Florida when she was just a baby. She had been desperately caught in a commercial crab trap. Her tail was so badly injured and she had lost so much blood that she was not expected to live. Against all odds, and with the help of dedicated veterinarians, she miraculously pulled through.

Without a tail, Winter developed a way of swimming that astounded her two legged friends at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a respite for animals like Winter who would not be able to survive on their own in the wild.

Though they were sure that Winter could swim without the help of humans, they were concerned about how her new way of swimming would effect her spine. A company that made prosthetic limbs found out about Winter and volunteered their time and energy to develop a prosthetic tail that would help Winter to swim just as well as any other dolphin.

Amy is a young woman who was born with a deformed arm. She has only half an arm on one side. There is no hand on that arm. Her other arm and hand are normal. Since childhood, Amy has had many operations on her deformed arm. None of the operations served to permanently stop the constant pain that she lives with daily. A doctor has told her that though some of the pain is from physical cause, most of the pain stems from unresolved emotions. Coming from a very dysfunctional family, Amy is very well acquainted with the devastation of neglect and abuse. She tries very hard to conceal it. She smiles often when others are looking. Though her skills at hiding her pain may fool some of her human companions, there was definitely one warm blooded new friend that she could not hide from. That friend was Winter.

When Amy asked my husband and me to meet her at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, we were so glad to say yes. My husband and I are photographers and Amy wanted photos of her encounter with Winter so that she could remember that day for the rest of her life. When Amy called the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to talk to them about getting a chance to see Winter, they told her that there would be no charge for her to get into the Aquarium and that she could see Winter for free. Normally, there is a fee to get in and an extra fee to get a personal up close session with Winter.

As Amy waited to see Winter I was stunned to see how frightened she was. Standing behind the railing, Amy had changed from a young woman to a frail and vulnerable child. I watched as she almost turned around to leave. Then, she stood very still, closed her eyes for a moment, and forced herself to stay.

A young woman who worked for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium gently guided Amy down to the edge of the pool. As Amy came face to face with Winter the dolphin, I began to see her face change from one of terror to the soft shy look of someone who was being loved and accepted far beyond what she had ever known. I held the camera steady and tried my best to capture the essence of this amazing love. Between my husband and me, we took 153 photos. Winter gave us plenty of time to do this. Even the people working at the Aquarium were shocked to see how much time and attention Winter was giving to Amy.

As Amy left, I saw a kind of a glow to her that I had not seen before. Though she still struggled with so many issues from her past, she now knew that she was not alone. Someone who knew what she was going through had connected to her in a way that no other could.

In all of my years as a photographer, that was the first time I had ever witnessed such compassion and love between an animal and a human. I will never forget that day, or the kindness of Winter and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Response from Dr. DeFoore

Hello, and thank you for this beautiful story. You point out very well how animals can be a part of our healing as human beings. Many people know this, and many more can benefit from knowing. Your story will help everyone who reads it.

My best to you,

Dr. DeFoore