Some stories are about a diagnosis. Others are about what comes after. Sonia’s story is one of resilience, hope, and discovering that life’s greatest challenges can sometimes open the door to something unexpected and beautiful.
Diagnosis, Recovery and Discovery
It started on warm summer night in 2022. While sitting on her couch with her partner, Sonia Bitca began to feel sick – a reaction, she assumed, to the terrible smell of chemicals and paint coming from the neighbours’ apartment. There was only one problem, as her partner quickly pointed out, the smells of chemicals and paint did not exist.
A few weeks later, after a doctor’s visit and an MRI, Sonia got the scans back. They revealed a brain tumour, a meningioma, about the size of a grapefruit, located at the base of Sonia’s skull. The tumour was pressing on her olfactory nerve, causing phantom odours – smells that she could sense but that weren’t actually there.
Soon her shock turned to curiosity, and she began to research her new diagnosis. Meningioma is a tumour that develops in the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. While most often benign, meningioma can be dangerous if it grows in a critical location. In her case, the tumour was close to her optic nerve, meaning that it risked permanently damaging her vision, speech, and sense of balance. Despite this, surgery could likely remove the tumour, offering hope for a full recovery.
A few months after the MRI, Sonia underwent her first craniotomy: a surgery lasting more than 20 hours. A second operation, this time lasting over 15 hours, saw surgeons remove the remainder of the mass, leaving her tumour-free.
While the meningioma was gone, Sonia did not walk away unscathed. The surgery had affected both her temporalis muscle and her optic nerve, leaving her with constant double vision and the inability to open her mouth more than one centimetre wide. It was only through months of strenuous daily exercises that she was able to retrain her eyes and relearn how to open her jaw. One day at a time, Sonia steadily recovered, regaining her senses – including her sense of smell – and reconnecting with the world around her.
It was during these long months, forced to be largely idle, that Sonia stumbled upon WWOOFing – and with that discovery, something clicked in her mind.
“I wasn’t able to do much. I was relaxing and reading a lot at that time,” said Sonia. “By pure luck, I saw a Facebook post about WWOOFing. I had heard of it before but couldn’t remember what it was called. I was so happy! Right away, I knew I wanted to do that as soon as I was able.”
While exploring host farms on the WWOOF Canada website, she set her sights on a childhood dream she had long put aside: living alongside horses. Sonia had looked for opportunities to be around horses in the past, but the responsibilities of life had always gotten in the way.
“I knew that I didn’t want to wait anymore. I wanted to give this gift to myself,” said Sonia.
The World of WWOOFing
A few months later, Sonia arrived at Bear Valley Rescue Society in Mountain View County, Alberta, her first-ever WWOOF stay. There she was greeted by her hosts, Astrid and Mike, a family driven by compassion and a deep commitment to animal welfare. They introduced her to the Society’s 150 horses roaming freely through the valley, all of whom had been rescued from neglect, abuse, abandonment, or slaughter.
She discovered a lifestyle unlike anything she had experienced before; one spent outdoors, surrounded by trees, endless skies, and fresh air. Her hosts generously shared their knowledge about the animals and the area, which she employed each day as she carried out the various chores and projects, such as feeding, cleaning the stalls, or changing the horses’ bandages.
“One of my tasks was to inspect the horses,” said Sonia. “Since they were free to roam the valley, they were at risk of injuring themselves, so I needed to make sure they were healthy and safe.”
Many of the rescued horses at the sanctuary had disabilities, making their care even more complex. Yet these obstacles ended up being engines for even greater connection.
“It was the first time I had ever been in contact with blind horses,” said Sonia. “There was one horse in particular who recognized my voice. Even though he was free to go wherever he wanted on the huge property, he would come to see me every time.. The connection was incredible.”
Less than a year after her own brain surgery, Sonia found herself caring for other beings in need, fostering a deep connection with horses that continues to this day.
“WWOOFing came at the perfect time in my life,” said Sonia. “It helped me through my recovery. It became my greatest motivation to regain my strength. I couldn’t wait to be around horses again and to do meaningful, hands-on work. WWOOFing gave me a purpose. Something tangible to look forward to, plan for, and ultimately accomplish.”
In the following years, Sonia went on to WWOOF four more times, spending several weeks each year gaining hands-on experience on farms in Quebec, Ontario and the prairies. She managed a stable, learned about foaling, and assisted with trail rides. Whenever she had time off from work, she chose to spend it WWOOFing, building a life increasingly centred around animal wellbeing. She built on those skills by completing courses in Equine Massage Therapy, hoof care, and equine reproductive anatomy, driven by her desire to become more knowledgeable and capable in helping the animals she had built such a connection with.
“Needless to say, WWOOFing has become a fully integrated part of my life,” said Sonia.
“I can no longer imagine my life without it, and I often wonder how I managed before. WWOOFing gave me the opportunity to learn so many things, but above all, it showed me what truly matters to me: caring for others and animals.”
Hoping to inspire others to find the courage to adapt when their lives take an unexpected turn, Sonia wrote a memoir called The Beast In My Head, that chronicles this period in her life. It was published through Friesen Press in October, 2022.
While Sonia’s journey is deeply personal, her search for meaning and connection is something many of us can relate to. Her story reminds us that finding a way forward can sometimes begin with something as simple as trying something unfamiliar, meeting new people, or pursuing something we once put aside. WWOOFing offers a space to do just that, and perhaps discover a new sense of meaning and purpose along the way.
If you are interested in purchasing Sonia’s memoir, The Beast in My Head, you can find it on the Friesen Press website here, or wherever good books are sold.