Testimonals
An 'inconvenient' visit to the lewis rathburn wellness center
It was a hot and muggy, late-summer evening--near the end of a long day. It had been a challenging day at work which was followed by a trip to Marion, North Carolina to attend a Pet Therapy organizational meeting at McDowell Hospital. After finally returning home, I still had to prepare my pet therapy dog for a return trip to Asheville to visit the Rathbun Wellness Center. At this point, I quite honestly was less than enthusiastic about making that visit! But that was soon to changed as I entered Rathbun's large public area and met an elderly gentleman who I could tell (even from across the room) was quite interested in visiting with my Golden Retriever. We approved him and introduced ourselves and he was immediately on the floor fully involved with my dog. I quickly determined he had either a severe case of allergies or was emotionally distraught. He set me back with his declaration that his dear wife of 44 years had just been disconnected from her respirator at a Mission trauma unit and was not expected to survive much longer. The tears were flowing freely as he continued to interact with my dog and I marveled that he could remain so involved with her in spite of his emotional state. I sat with this gentleman for most of my appointed time at Rathbun listing as he described to me his history as a military pilot, his marriage, his children, his recent retirement. He also described the circumstances of the tragic car accident in a nearby state that necessited his wife being air-lifted to Mission Hospitals--a hospital in a town he had never visited but was assured had the best in trauma services.
He anxiously fed Haley some scraps from a dinner he really had no appetite for and continued to comment on how wonderful this was to be able to spend time with such a kind, calm and compassionate animal. Desperate for something to do for him, I asked if I could return him to the hospital when he learned his children had recently arrived to see their Mom. He gratefully accepted my offer and the three of us made the short journey to the Mission campus. As we approached the hospital entrance and in a voice thick with emotion, he told me how very much our visit had meant to him and how he had so easily fallen in love with my beautiful Golden. At this point, my emotions were becoming a problem and, shaking hands with him I was barely able to squeak out a "God bless you, sir" to which he replied, "God really did bless me this evening- He sent the two of you!"
I continue to regret the selfish feeling of being inconvenienced I had experienced earlier in the evening. I can only ask myself 'how could I possibly imagine a better way to spend my time than with such a wonderful gentleman so desperately in need of the help only my Golden Retriever could give him?!'
Paws with a Purpose Volunteer
Rise Up and Walk
We had a young patient who had been in the hospital for a very long time. The weekly dog visits were always a highlight for the patient and his family. The patient sat up for the first time in order to get closer to the dog and had performed numerous other tasks for the first time for the dogs. In order to be discharged, the doctors needed the patient to walk. All the attempts so far had failed. The patient just refused to walk. The staff said in jest, "If you can get that one on his feet, it will be a miracle." I scheduled him for the last visit of the day and explained that the dog had been lying around on beds and was in desperate need of exercise. Would he be willing to walk the dog a little bit so she would feel better? He thought about it for a while as he played with the dog. I asked him again and he responded with, "How far?" I told him to the door would be a great help. He thought about it some more and reluctantly said, "OK." A shocked mother and nurse helped him up and we slowly headed for the door. At the door he hesitated and I told him there was a play room two doors down if that sounded doable. We made it to the playroom where we rested for a while and then headed back to the room. After witnessing the walk, the doctor asked me how often the dogs came to visit. I told him and we made arrangements for a dog to visit and go for a walk on a regular basis. The patient was discharged within a week.
And the Grieving Began…
A young patient had just been moved to Mission from the burn hospital. He had suffered bad burns in a house fire. His mother, brother, and another family member, as well as all the family pets, were lost in the fire. The child had been fairly non-communicative since his ordeal. When pressed, he would answer questions by nodding his head. The dog on duty that day was a German Shepherd. During the visit, the Dad constantly paced the floor and mostly rambled out loud to us. The patient immediately reached out to pet the dog and held on to him during the entire visit. Shortly after we left the room, very loud wailing and yelling could be heard coming from the room. The situation seemed chaotic to me, but the staff eventually told me that one of the pets lost in the fire was a much loved German Shepherd and that the visit had helped bring about the start of a grieving process that was long overdue.
Norma Palmer, Mac O'Shields & Gunnar, German Shepherd
Thoughted
This young women had been a frequent patient in the hospital and really looked forward to the dog visits. There was very little conversation during the visits, but she and the dogs cuddled. Eventually, the patient was moved to another hospital for special treatments that included an amputation of one leg. The patient returned to Mission for additional treatments and continued to enjoy the dog visits. During the visit prior to her first chemotherapy treatment, the patient became very upset with me. It finally came out that Paddington had not been to visit and it was important that Paddington know everything was OK. After more probing, I found out that this patient cuddled with the dogs so they could communicate. The process was simple. They "thoughted" with each other. During one of these conversations, Paddington had indicated not to be afraid; everything was going to be O.K. We made special arrangements for Paddington to visit so she could see that everything had worked out just fine. During this visit, Paddington "thoughted" and indicated that there would be a need for two more visits after the chemo was done. Surprise, there were two more visits and the patient hasn't needed to be hospitalized since.
Norma Palmer, Michelle Rippon & Paddington, Springer Spaniel
Saying Goodbye
A patient who had been in and out of the hospital many times had shared that being a veterinarian was a career goal. The pet visits were always a highlight of hospital stays. On this particular Saturday, it appeared that the disease was taking its final toll. When the father was asked about a visit, he said, "Absolutely", but he couldn't get her to wake up. I indicated that that was O.K.; we would visit any way. He was adamant that she needed to be awake. I told him just to let me know when they were ready. When I got the word, we quickly brought Bubba in for a visit. It was interesting because Bubba, a Basset Hound, usually sniffed with his nose to the ground. He entered the room and sniffed with his nose up in the air. He was led to the bed and lifted next to the patient. He cuddled next to her with his head on her shoulder. She smiled at him, petted him for a little bit, and closed her eyes. Bubba stayed with her for a while and then his owner lifted him off the bed. As Bubba was leaving the room, he stopped and looked at her and refused to move for a bit. I believe he was wishing her a speedy and easy journey. He finally responded to his owner's request to leave. That was the last time she regained consciousness. She died the next day. I run into her parents around town. They consistently thank me for Bubba's last visit. They are really grateful that the last thing she saw was someone she loved and someone who loved her back.
Norma Palmer, Pam Hardin & Bubba, Basset Hound
Saying Thank You
Dooley visited a woman who claimed her dog saved her life. This patient was on an ICU step-down unit and had been waiting almost a week for a visit. There was not room for 85+ pound Dooley in bed with her, so the nurse, Jan and I got Dooley on a chair and pushed it up to the side of her bed. The patient lay with her eyes closed stroking Dooley for about 15 minutes. There was very little conversation. After Dooley left her room, Jan went back in to help her wash her hands. She did not want to wash her hands, as she wanted to keep Dooley's scent with her for as long as possible. Jan later shared that through Dooley; she thanked her own dog for saving her life and was now ready for her transfer to the rehabilitation hospital for the next stage of her healing.
Patients feel less pain, loneliness and fear
When Paddington and I finish a pet therapy visit, her body language tells me that she has taken all the emotions of the visit, whether it is the children, newly diagnosed cancer patients or the dying patients. There has been pain. There has been laughter - more often strained than spontaneous and effortless. And there has been loneliness and fear and nostalgic talk of pets at home. Paddington brings all these emotions home and by doing so, I believe the patients we visit feel less pain and less loneliness and less fear.
Michelle Rippon and her Springer Spaniel, Paddington
Relaxation for the whole family
Upon our arrival April 12 at Mission Hospitals' pediatric outpatient unit, we met two-year-old Daniel Lopez who was being held in the arms of his mother, Jennifer Maynor. They were just leaving, and Jennifer held the door open for my pet therapy dog Freckles and me. Daniel immediately perked up when he saw Freckles, and told his mother in no uncertain terms to turn around. "But we're done, Daniel. We're going home," she said. But he would not be dissuaded. He remembered Freckles from the time she'd visited him in the hospital and had crawled into bed with him, and he wanted to see her again. With only momentary reluctance, Jennifer turned around and brought Daniel came back into the room. He climbed down and without saying another word, petted and played with Freckles for the next 30 minutes. "I think it makes him more relaxed," Jennifer told a local reporter who was there writing a story about pet therapy. "It makes his visit a little more pleasant." Having "worked" with pet therapy dogs in hospital settings for the past several years, I can say with firsthand knowledge that she's right -- the dogs definitely make the children more relaxed. Of equal importance from a therapeutic and healing standpoint, I can say with equal confidence, these visits also help the parents relax. You can almost see the tension drain from their faces. And that has to be good for their children as well.
Paul Howey and his terrier mix, Freckles
A MOTHER'S THANK YOU
"What a wonderful program you have! My 11-year-old daughter, Maggie, ended up in Mission Hospital in May of 2007. One morning before school, she had a headache and then very sudden and alarming neurological difficulties. After spending a very scary day in the ER, Maggie was admitted to the adolescent wing at Mission Hospital for more tests and observation by a neurologist and an infectious disease doctor. She spent the weekend there, and on Saturday two of your very fine dogs, Jasmine and Sammy, and their kind owners came for a visit. Maggie loves dogs, and they were a great joy and comfort to both of us that day. Maggie's diagnosis was viral meningitis. I feel extremely fortunate to say that she has recovered 100% with no permanent problems form the meningitis. She was released from the hospital on Mother's Day, and this was the best gift a mother could receive. The visit from Jasmine and Sammy that Saturday was a great comfort. I think you have a wonderful program, and I truly appreciate what you are doing to cheer kids up that are in the hospital. Thank you, Lisa Shelton"
