Special moment on a therapy dog visit
At YorkieTherapy's request, I'm reposting a submission I made to the Delta Society's "Interactions" magazine. It was just a single moment on a visit that reminded me why I love working with Eddie as a volunteer to cheer people up:
Providence Alaska Medical Center’s PAWS program has a “trick specialist” — a Yorkie named Eddie who visits the Center with his Pet Partner, Mike Lewis.
Mike notes, “Most of our visits involve Eddie performing. We had one recent visit, though, that stopped me in my tracks and made me re-evaluate what our visits mean.
“Visiting the advanced-care wing at the Horizon House, an assisted-living home, there was one elderly woman who was staring off into space. She was looking in our direction with no reaction.
"I decided to carry Eddie over and see if we could make contact. Her eyes focused on Eddie, and I sensed a softening in her gaze. Her fist was clenched and her arm stiff. I asked if she wanted to pet him, and her look turned to one of embarrassment. She looked at her hand, as if to say she wasn’t sure she could even do it. I said, ‘Go ahead, he’s soft.’
“She lowered her hand clumsily to Eddie, and the instant she made contact, the expression on her face went from rigid to peaceful, as if she’d taken a dip in a cool pool on a sweltering day. I heard an ‘Aahh’ escape her lips.
"As my eyes started to well up in tears, I looked around to see if anyone had seen what just happened. No one was looking. This moment was just between the three of us, and it was overwhelming. Even Eddie seemed to understand the connection.”
Providence Alaska Medical Center’s PAWS program has a “trick specialist” — a Yorkie named Eddie who visits the Center with his Pet Partner, Mike Lewis.
Mike notes, “Most of our visits involve Eddie performing. We had one recent visit, though, that stopped me in my tracks and made me re-evaluate what our visits mean.
“Visiting the advanced-care wing at the Horizon House, an assisted-living home, there was one elderly woman who was staring off into space. She was looking in our direction with no reaction.
"I decided to carry Eddie over and see if we could make contact. Her eyes focused on Eddie, and I sensed a softening in her gaze. Her fist was clenched and her arm stiff. I asked if she wanted to pet him, and her look turned to one of embarrassment. She looked at her hand, as if to say she wasn’t sure she could even do it. I said, ‘Go ahead, he’s soft.’
“She lowered her hand clumsily to Eddie, and the instant she made contact, the expression on her face went from rigid to peaceful, as if she’d taken a dip in a cool pool on a sweltering day. I heard an ‘Aahh’ escape her lips.
"As my eyes started to well up in tears, I looked around to see if anyone had seen what just happened. No one was looking. This moment was just between the three of us, and it was overwhelming. Even Eddie seemed to understand the connection.”
Comments 6
Total Comments 6
Comments
 |  Oh Mike that's so beautiful! God Bless you for giving some love to these people, now that you've added Jillian, you can make twice as many people happy! |
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| |  Beautiful, Mike. It must be deeply gratifying to do something so special, to share your beloved boy Eddie and bring happiness to others. A simple touch can mean so much. |
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| |  Aww, thanks, you guys. It's us who receives the gift during moments like that. I'm hoping Jillie is a little more mellow than Eddie and can give them some snuggle time. |
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| |  Wow! With tears welling up, I applaud you. What a beautiful moment and amazing work you are doing. |
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| |  Mike, this is very touching. I'm sure the visit brightened the rest of her day. Will you and Eddie be seeing her again? The little lady reminds me of my own mother before she died. All they want is something to give them hope and to know that someone cares. You and Eddie filled that little lady's heart with love that day. I'm proud of you both! |
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| | Lila, sadly, that was the last time I saw that particular woman. I don't know if she was moved or just sleeping during my visits, but I never saw her again and eventually stopped visiting that home as often. A lot of the residents there had Alzheimer's, and I always wondered how long they remembered our visits. But I decided that moments like that, whether they remembered them or not, were worth it. Thanks, you guys, for the kind words. |
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