Stories like this one a friend sent me today:
Hi friends – I would like to share a story with you of a recent therapy visit by Billy. On Thursday, we were at Grossmont Hospital. It was the end of our “shift” so we were in an elevator heading down to the first floor. On the second floor, a man got on, saw Billy, and asked if we could please go see his wife, Maria, and tell her that Billy’s visit was a gift from her husband. I, of course, couldn’t say no, so we headed back up in the elevator, found the right room, and asked for Maria. When she saw us, she burst into tears. She patted Billy over and over, with tears streaming down her face, and she beamed when I told her this was a gift from her husband.
Finally, Billy waved good-bye to her and, since there was another bed in the room, I called out through the curtain and asked if anyone else would like a visit with a therapy dog. The answer was yes, yes. So I walked over to that side of the room and saw a man sitting in the visitor’s chair, sobbing. I made an instant decision that he needed Billy even more than his wife, who was the patient in the bed, and we walked over to him. He clutched Billy, stroking him, and shedding tears on him. He finally was able to tell us that two months previous, he had been in the hospital in a coma and no one – not his wife, not his daughter – could wake him up. Then he had a visit from a therapy dog, and he woke. By that time, everyone in the room (except Billy) was in tears. I hugged the man as he sobbed, and he and his wife uttered their thanks to Billy over and over.
It was a beautiful, wondrous experience, and I am so glad that Billy was able to be there for that man so that he could release some of the strong emotions and memories he was carrying.
Thanks for listening to my story; it helped me to share with you.
Love, Mary Jane
6 Responses
My pup is a therapy dog. It’s great. We have one woman who we visit in a nursing home who is thrilled when we show up. She says my dog’s visit makes her week and that it’s her medication!
That’s so cool, Rhea. I’m getting myself and Darwin ready – hopefully a few more weeks and he will have his Canine Good Citizen certification and be ready to go to work!
Trinity isn’t a therapy dog … but she is such a source of joy and love!
what a great balance, donna…this wondrous story of real people and the healing power of dogs contrasted with the cluelessness of our alleged leaders. thanks so much. -naomi
Heh. It amuses me too….
Actually, the program I really want to do eventually is even COOLER. There’s an enlightened pharmaceutical company that actually PAYS to train seizure dogs and their owners, and pays for the dog’s care, food, vet visits, everything! They found the dogs are so effective at detecting seizures and preventing injuries (by getting the person to the ground and laying on their chests) that it is more cost-effective to pay for the dog’s training and care than for patient hospitalization. That’s the kind of program I’m hoiping to work with eventually when I get enough room to raise and train dogs.
That story brought tears to my eyes. How wonderful of you to make Darwin a part of something like this.