This little girl stood up for the first time after surgery because of you!
A True buddy How one small pup motivated one little girl during her hospital stay – thanks to you!
It was a Thursday. Brent Hamilton was making his weekly visit at Children’s of Alabama with his therapy dog Buddy when he was stopped by a mother holding her child. The 12-month-old had undergone heart surgery just two days ago and was in the midst of recovery. A nurse helped the mother and child sit on the floor and visit with Buddy.
“One of my personal favorite things to witness is watching the heart rate of an anxious or agitated patient lower while petting the Hand in Paw dog. We are so thankful to be able to utilize Hand in Paw to promote coping during hospitalization.”
The little girl was sitting in her mother’s lap when she suddenly stood up to get closer to Buddy. This was the very first time since her surgery that the child had stood up on her own! After some pets and cuddles, Brent and Buddy walked alongside the little girl to her hospital room with the help of a nurse and occupational therapist. This was a HUGE step in the little girl’s progress and the mother was very appreciative that Buddy was there to help motivate and comfort her child.
Mary Haddow, Child Life Specialist for Dearth Tower also notes, “Hand in Paw not only brightens our patients’ days, but also our staff’s! The dogs can tell what each patient and family needs, and they provide a calming presence during a time in a family’s life that is stressful.”
Amazing mission moments like these are happening every week at Children’s of Alabama thanks to you. Your donations support our 25-year-long partnership with the hospital by helping recruit and train Therapy Teams to brighten the days of children and parents going through difficult times. Melissa Johnson, Child Life Specialist for the Special Care Unit sees the impact of your support first-hand;
Because of you, 7 Therapy Teams are currently visiting across 12 units at Children’s of Alabama! We are so grateful to our donors and volunteers who make it possible to provide moments of peace and healing to people who need it most.
Here’s another reason to smile! VP Funds recently gave Hand in Paw a grant to illustrate and produce custom Activity Books to give to children after a HIP visit has ended! These books are almost finished and will soon be given to Program Partners like Children’s of Alabama. Here is a sneak peek!
Furry Friends Word Search I’m on the hunt for these hidden words words! Can you help me find them?
P T A C Y P A R E H T W O L
Help Hand in Paw train more Therapy Teams to visit at Children’s of Alabama by donating using the envelope provided or visit handinpaw.org/donate.
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Words to Find: Hand in Paw
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Therapy Dog
Therapy Cat Comfort Joy
Kindness Consideration Common Sense
Golden Woof
C F J C N S M E T D N G A S
