The donkeys who gave me a sanctuary
Karen Lawson has been unable to live at home with her elderly parents since the start of the pandemic. Facing mounting stress, she found joy when she needed it most...
Waving to my parents through the conservatory window, they were both crying, but I fought back tears until I was in my car. It was March 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic had hit the UK.
My mum, Ann, 80, and dad, Peter, 81, were high risk and needed to shield, but as a key worker, I still had to work. It was too risky to go home to them, so I packed my bags, waved goodbye and booked two nights in a hotel. Beyond that, I had no idea where I’d go or what the future held. I cried in my car and I cried when I arrived at the eerily empty hotel.
I’ve dedicated my career to other people’s wellbeing. But when the pandemic began, it’s fair to say my own took a hit.
As an NHS support to the community managers, my job involved helping the district nursing teams. So in the first lockdown, I was put in charge of sourcing PPE for 21 teams of nurses across Derbyshire.
It was incredibly challenging. The second lockdown doubled my workload. In the third, my role changed to an NHS social prescriber, becoming part of the team involved in the logistics of vaccine distribution.
The stress has been intense. If I hadn’t met donkeys Barney and Pumpkin, I wouldn’t have coped. They have been my salvation, my sanctuary and my sanity. And to think, I never even used to like animals!
After my marriage broke down four years ago, I moved back in with my parents. I hadn’t lived with them since I was 21, but they were so supportive as I went through a messy divorce and built back the pieces of my life. It was good to be there for them too.
Then Covid-19 changed the world. When I moved to the hotel, the NHS covered the cost of extending my stay for two weeks. Then people who owned rental cottages and holiday lets started getting in touch with the NHS, offering up their vacant rooms to key workers.
Veronica and Jo did just that. Their Derbyshire Oak Lane Farm, with a holiday cottage and B&B, was standing empty, as all bookings had been cancelled. When they generously offered to help accommodate NHS workers, I was chosen.
As I drove up the quiet country lane for the first time last April, it was with mixed emotions. It was a place of calm and I felt safe
and grateful, but I was also lonely, with no idea when I could ever go home again. My daughter, Georgia, 22, was stuck in America and I could only see my parents through a window.
Keeping two metres away, Veronica and Jo showed me around my new home. ‘If you ever want to meet the donkeys, they’re there for you too,’ Veronica told me, pointing towards the fields.
I smiled but, not much of an animal lover, I didn’t take them up on the offer. I had so much on my plate. At work, colleagues were crumbling as exhaustion, stress and worry mounted. I tried to stay strong but felt I was breaking too.
A week later, Veronica mentioned the donkeys, Barney and Pumpkin, again. This time, I thought, why not, so Veronica and Jo took me to the field where the pair were busy eating grass.
Jo told me about how she and Veronica had joined The Donkey Sanctuary’s rehoming scheme and become Donkey Guardians, rehoming Barney and Pumpkin in March 2014, after their previous owner could no longer care for them.
‘They’ll decide if they’re interested in meeting you in their own time,’ Veronica said. ‘They are intuitive. They’ll approach if they want to.’
I stepped into the field and instantly, Barney marched over to me, closely followed by Pumpkin. I felt as if they were reading my mind and as they nuzzled into me gently, the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. I rested my head on Barney’s mane and, for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.
Veronica was right, the donkeys really were there for me. From that day on, they were my comfort blanket, wrapped around me in the storm of the pandemic.
After a non-stop day at work, I’d head to the field and instantly feel calm. I love grooming them and even mucking out their stables – testament to what a profound effect they’ve had on me.
On one of my worst days, I just couldn’t stop crying. It was June, and that afternoon, I visited the donkeys. Sometimes, Barney and Pumpkin can be noisy but it’s like they knew what I needed. They quietly came and stood with me and didn’t budge. I realised whether I felt good or bad, happy or sad, they were always happy to see me.
The harder my day was, the closer the donkeys stood.
When I feel stressed I go to the donkeys and have a good cry. Being in their company is calming and they understand how I’m feeling and what I need, sometimes nuzzling for a cuddle, sometimes being playful and funny.
They show me that while you can’t always solve the challenges of life, you can find ways to cope.
I’m proud to work for the NHS but the doctors and nurses on the Covid wards are the heroes. I’m just a small part of a big team and although we have all found the past year challenging, I think most of us would agree the positives far outweigh the negatives.
The joy of seeing someone in their 80s who hasn’t left their house since March, come out to be vaccinated, makes my day. People tell us we’re saving lives but we’re just doing our job.
Now 55, I’ll continue to live here until it’s safe to go home. Which means I get to see Barney and Pumpkin every day.
Along with the kindness Veronica and Jo displayed by inviting key workers to live in their accommodation, I’ll never forget the donkeys. They have made me feel at home during the most disruptive, scary time of my life.
To support the work of The Donkey Sanctuary please visit thedonkeysanctuary.org. uk/support-us/donate
‘I love grooming them and mucking out their stables’