IRANDUBA, BRAZIL: During a special therapy session, Luiz Felipe, who has Down syndrome, beams as he holds a pink dolphin while floating in the Rio Negro river in the Brazilian Amazon.
Several disabled patients, like 27-year-old Luiz Felipe, traveled from the nearby city of Manaus to participate in the alternative therapy sessions, which have benefited about 400 people in the last 20 years.
Young people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and other limb loss conditions are among the patients.
According to 49-year-old physiotherapist Igor Simoes Andrade, his unique kind of animal therapy is “the first in the world,” but it shouldn’t be used in place of traditional medical care.
“contactwith nature and a strength you don´t have in hospital environments.”
