This week, thanks to Gus, Stanley and two of their friends, I received more Christmas presents than anyone could ever hope for. It began on Friday when I took Stanley to Tarzana Hospital.
After warm greetings in the lobby, I was walking down the hall when I was drawn to an amazing picture on the wall. It was of a quilt with elastic at the sides to simulate a mask. The squares, designed by Providence caregivers, were touching tributes to the strength of the human spirit.
Moved by the messages and so happy to be there with Stanley, I took him upstairs to cheer up the staff. He was just what they needed, better than eggnog or a Hallmark movie, my guilty pleasure.
These pictures say it all. He got two spontaneous thumbs up. Then he offered some holiday love.
On Christmas day, my friend Donna and I carried on a tradition that we started a few years ago. We brought Gus plus her two Bichon, Tommy and Finley, to cheer up the young patients at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. It was so special to be there because last year COVID-19 kept us away.
Tommy and Finley are Gus’s best buddies in the People Animal Connection. They’ve developed a beautiful rhythm in working together. Tommy and Finley are sweet and adorable. Gus kind of adds his own special style to the mix.
As we went from room to room, the dogs brought such comfort, even to the critically ill children. In some instances, it seemed to benefit the parents even more. The holiday is such a difficult time to have a child in the hospital. The visits gave them a moment to breathe.
While Tommy and Finley were cuddling with a young boy, I had Gus do his little dance and then put him in a Christmas hat. The boy smiled and even laughed softly. Donna later shared that when they had visited him a few days before there had barely been any reaction. The three dogs together had won him over, to the delight of his parents.
No matter how long you’ve had the privilege of working with therapy dogs, there is always a sense of wonder at seeing what they can do, especially at this time of year. Their simple presence is a priceless gift.
This was reinforced by all of the staff who came into the rooms with us. You could sense the smiles behind their masks. As we were leaving the PICU, one of the nurses commented, “This was truly a Christmas miracle.”
