Maggie and Friends
Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the child or teenager pictured is probably not the patient in the story.When Maggie was a puppy, I hoped she would have the temperament to be a therapy dogs; one of those dogs who bring joy and comfort to children ill or in pain. She and I did all the “doggie and me” training. But, in the back of my mind. I still wondered how this ball of puppy energy would do with sick and hurt children. So, I was more than a bit nervous when we went on our first visit to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.
We met with a little boy who was about 5 to 6 years old. After asking his mom if it was O.K., I placed Maggie on his bed and his face lit up. The little boy didn’t say a word during our visit. All he did was pet Maggie with his left hand and eat French fries with his right. As we were getting ready to go to the next patient, his mother thanked us for the visit and told me that those fries were the first solid food her son had had any interest in since the day before.
We went to the next room and met with a wisp of a girl. She was in a lot pain and could not bear to have bed moved at all. At first I just held Maggie up so they could see each other. After a few minutes, the girl asked me to place Maggie on the bed. This little ball of energy lay at the girl’s side and didn’t move a muscle while her head was stroked. How these dogs know to do this, without our telling them, is beyond me.On our last visit, we walked into a room with four very grim faced adults and one sick infant. The child was too young for a puppy visit but Maggie spent time with each adult, being held and cuddled. The tension in the room was broken, the conversations turned to who was going to get some rest and get something to eat. Sometimes, the effect on the parents is what really impresses me.
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