KATIE & SPROUT HAVE AN MRI
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What do you do when your child is so terrified by the thought of the hospital that she won’t get out of the car? You enlist the help of Sprout the Service Dog at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. Katie’s parents didn’t know what to do. The first time they tried to bring their daughter in for her MRI, they barely made it past the parking lot. Because of her autism, 19-yearold Katie has sensory and communication issues that make doctor visits and medical procedures a challenge. “The facility dog team had a full schedule during Katie’s first visit to the hospital, so sadly this resulted in a traumatic experience for the family that could have been prevented had there been more facility dogs available for service,” said Julia Humphries, a Child Life Specialist and Sprout’s primary handler. When the family met Julia, they hoped things would be different. They couldn’t have expected just how different their experience would be.
18 Sacred Heart Foundation
