What can people who are in the hospital need? Medicines and attention of loved ones. The second, of course, is even more important than the first, because sincere participation and support charge you with optimism and give you inner strength to continue the fight against the disease. In Canada, they conducted a fantastic experiment: they allowed patients to see not only relatives, but also their pets - dogs and cats.
In a Canadian hospital, critically ill patients are allowed to meet with their pets
Juravinski Hospital (Ontario, Canada) has an original rule: all patients are allowed to see their pets. The initiative belongs to Donna Jenkins, the program is called "Paws for Zachary Healing". Donna was inspired by the story of a 25-year-old nephew named Zachary. The guy had a difficult diagnosis - Hodgkin's lymphoma, and, while in the hospital, he asked to see his dogs. Just a few meetings were enough for me to recover very quickly.
“Zachary was in the hospital for several weeks, he underwent a difficult operation and his rehabilitation period was very difficult. When he asked to see his pet, we decided to help him,”Jenkins recalls. She had to secretly take the dog to intensive care, the guy's reaction was difficult to convey in words, it was so touching. When Zachary realized that he was unlikely to be able to defeat the disease, he asked his aunt to continue the initiative and ensure that every patient would have the opportunity to see those who were dear to them. The first official meeting took place on September 15, 2015, since then dozens of meetings have been held, and they all brought joy.
Promotional video:
Meetings with pets are held once a week, their duration is about an hour. In order for the medical staff to have no complaints, the animals are thoroughly bathed, in addition, a meeting with one patient will not affect others in any way, dogs and cats are brought into only one room. Jenkins comments on this project: “We know that meeting patients with their pets increases their vital capacity, relieves depression, helps to overcome feelings of isolation, and most importantly - reminds them to get better and return home”.
