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A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021
| Contributor Information
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Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
With his trainer Hassen Bouchakour by his side, the 15-year-old stallion Peyo arrives at the palliative care center of Calais Hospital in northern France. The pair used to compete in dressage events but have since found a new purpose, offering solace to patients at the end of life. As Hassen explains, the hospital staff has taken to calling the horse "Doctor Peyo" because he is such an integral part of the healthcare team.
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Peyo's close involvement in the lives of patients and their families is evident as he nuzzles up to Marion, 24, who has metastatic cancer, and her 7-year-old son Ethan. "With Peyo, we try to recreate life at the end of life," says Hassen, and in doing so bring a sense of peace to the patients and a positive energy to their families and caregivers.
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Scientists and doctors are studying Peyo's potential ability to detect cancer in humans and reduce patients' anxiety and need for certain medications. Additional brain imaging research has indicated that aspects of Peyo's neurologic activity may be unique from other horses.
Yet Hassen says he was aware that Peyo had special abilities during their time on the competitive equestrian circuit. Following events, Hassen noticed that Peyo — normally not one to seek out affection — would sometimes uncharacteristically decide to approach certain members of the crowd. Hassen eventually realized that Peyo seemed to be choosing people who were emotionally, physically, or psychologically vulnerable, toward whom he would act especially gentle and protective.
Peyo's intuitive nature is on display in this photo taken in the hallways of the palliative care center. By raising his leg, Peyo indicates to Hassen which room he wants to enter. In this particular instance, Peyo stayed for nearly 2 hours with the woman inside, who was nearing the end of her life.
"I accompany him, but I let him do what he wants," Hassen says. "He's the one who decides."
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Hassen prepares Peyo for a new day. In 2016, the pair left competitive events behind to begin their work with the patients at Calais Hospital, a choice that Hassen said did not come easily.
"I didn't ask for this. It took me a while to accept it. It put an end to my successful career as a sportsman, and as a showman," the trainer says. "It was very complicated to no longer be the master, and to be forced to admit that when [Peyo] detects someone in need, I am no longer in control. When he decides, I cannot hold him back. Something visceral in him makes him go and cling onto the specific person he has chosen."
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Peyo licks the hand of 64-year-old Roger, who has just returned for the day to the palliative care unit for a blood transfusion. Roger is happy to see his "favorite doctor" again.
"Tonight, he's going to sleep well because he saw Peyo," says Roger's wife. "As soon as he sees him, he sleeps like a baby."
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Peyo and Hassen accompany Roger to the Calais Hospital's parking garage, and the ambulance that will take him back home.
"Doctor Peyo and Hassen are not people, they are angels," says the son of a patient.
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Hassen doesn't let anything get by him on the sanitary front. Peyo is showered, brushed, and disinfected every day. In total, he spends an average of 2 hours preparing him. "When I clean him with the disinfectant wipes, it's to protect him," says Hassen. "Fortunately, he loves it."
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Peyo is happy to see his friend Daniel, 67, a former equestrian, who has terminal cancer. "At home, as soon as we speak to him about Peyo, he cries. He has stars in his eyes," Daniel's son Gerald says.
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Peyo and Hassen's relationship with these patients doesn't end at the doors of the Calais Hospital. When Daniel died in January, the pair accompanied his coffin to the village church, at the request of his family.
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
Hassen and Peyo enjoy time off on the beach in Calais, after a hard day at the hospital.
"In the past, people died at home. Today, it is so hard because people are often dying in isolation and we see death as a drama," says Hassen. "It is a unique experience to look after a person who is facing death, to stay with them and tell them, 'Don't worry. You can go in peace. You won't be forgotten.'"
Image courtesy of Jérémy Lempin
A Horse in the Hospital? Meet 'Doctor Peyo'
Jérémy Lempin | September 1, 2021 | Contributor Information
About the Photojournalist
Jérémy Lempin is a photojournalist based in Paris, France. After 10 years of military service, photographing the lives of his fellow soldiers, he began a full-time career as a photojournalist and interviewer in 2016. His diverse range of subjects include professional athletes, firefighters, and doctors. Lempin's series on "Doctor Peyo and Hassen" won several awards in 2021, including an Istanbul Photo Award, a Pictures of the Year International Award, and a World Press Photo.
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Jérémy Lempin
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Disclosure: Jérémy Lempin has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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