Page 28 - Robeson Living Fall 2019

St. Pauls resident Theresa Turner pets therapy dog Minnie Physician Assistants Cat Gaines, left, and Windy Christy
while she waits in the lobby of SeHealth’s Gibson Cancer sit with their therapy dogs, Myron, left, Minnie, Luke and
Center. Buddy at SeHealth’s Gibson Cancer Center.

Southeastern Health welcomes therapy dogs

By Roxana Ross

Myron is not a therapist, ence in the world,” Turner said. “We had one gentleman, he
but he listens calmly and was not doing well at all, and I brought a dog into his room
attentively to patients who and he just petted and petted and petted the dog. He didn’t
are scared or sad, and he want to let him go. Two weeks later, I brought the dog back,
often makes patients feel and they said his health was improving, and all he kept do-
better. He also lets pa- ing was wanting to see the dog.”
tients pet and cuddle him,
as long as they don’t mind Turner said she thinks that the dogs bring a vibrance and
a little shedding. vitality to patients that helps them improve.

A frequent visitor to nurs- Myron’s owner, Physician Assistant Cat Gaines, works at
ing home residents, Myron, along with other registered SeHealth’s Gibson Cancer Center in the Navigation De-
therapy dogs, is now also welcome at the Gibson Cancer partment. Along with the German shepherd mix, she also
Center and will soon be able to visit patients at all South- owns another German shepherd therapy dog, Minnie, who
eastern Health facilities, thanks to a new SeHealth policy. is a local rescue. Physician Assistant Windy Christy, who
As a Therapy Dogs International (TDI) registered thera- works in patient navigation at Gibson as well, owns Buddy,
py dog, Myron – along with his friends Minnie, Luke and a chocolate Labrador retriever, and Luke, a yellow Labra-
Buddy – recently visited the Gibson Cancer Center to dor. They are frequently joined by Sadie, a great Pyrenees
spread a little dog-shaped joy. owned by Sue Dickason.

One of the patients at Gibson, St. Pauls resident Theresa Unlike service dogs, who wear vests and are not supposed
Turner, was not only glad to see the dogs, but knew all to be petted by strangers when they are “working,” TDI
about how valuable they can be for some patients. therapy dogs wear bandanas and their training mostly cen-
ters on the idea that they respond well to being petted by
“When I worked in a nursing home, it made all the differ- strangers, especially those who might use some type of ser-
Page 28 Robeson Living ~ Fall 2019