With COVID-19 putting BEVA Trust projects on hold we asked former volunteers to share their fondest memory with us.
It is hard to pick my fondest memory of volunteering at the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust as so many come to mind! However, one patient I will always remember was a little donkey that presented to one of the village clinics we attended. He had an incredibly painful eye that was completely closed, crusted shut and covered in flies, as well as a large abscess over his dorsal spine. We brought him back to the clinic at Makasutu for treatment and discovered his eye was covered with a huge, very deep, corneal ulcer. He was constantly trying to rub the eye so we created a makeshift mask to protect it, and naturally he was then christened Pirate!
Pirate was started on pain relief and intensive treatment for the corneal ulcer. Although he was incredibly tolerant of treatment it felt like a long time until we started to see improvement. Then finally, early one morning, I went down to check on him and give his eye drops. Coffee in hand, I provided the obligatory ear scratch and then removed his mask. For the first time in his treatment, despite the bright morning sun, he had both eyes open! It was a hugely rewarding moment.
Want to get involved? Send us your fondest memory of volunteering with the BEVA Trust to be featured.
What is the BEVA Trust?
The BEVA Trust is a charitable organisation that provides opportunities, support and funding to allow vets and nurses to volunteer for projects that seek to enhance equine welfare both locally and globally.
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