For the past several months, João has been facing a difficult health journey. Confined to bed due to ongoing medical issues, he’s been relying on doctors for physical healing — but recently, something just as powerful arrived to help heal his spirit.
That something came in the form of a gentle horse named Paçoca.
Paçoca is no ordinary horse. He’s a therapy animal who works alongside volunteers from Coletivo Inclusão, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with special needs through compassionate outreach. And when he visited João, he did something extraordinary.
João’s daughter, Audrie Spake, shared a touching video of the visit that has since captured hearts across the internet. In it, Paçoca calmly leans into João’s chest, offering a silent but powerful form of comfort. He stayed there, close and still, as if understanding just what João needed in that moment.
“He stayed like that with my father the whole time,” Audrie wrote. “It was beautiful!”
The impact was immediate and deeply emotional. João, overwhelmed with the gentle affection from his four-legged guest, was visibly moved to tears.
This isn’t just a sweet moment — it’s an example of how therapy animals can bring profound relief to those going through physical and emotional hardship. According to the Mayo Clinic, animal-assisted therapy can reduce pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in patients — and even uplift their families.
For Audrie and her father, Paçoca’s visit was far more than a kind gesture.
“It was an inexplicable moment,” she said — a moment of peace, connection, and hope in the midst of a challenging time.
