Lessons In Love
By: Danielle Wilson
In every person's life there are significant, memorable moments
which are never forgotten and cherished forever. One of my most significant
was the day I first saw the four legged member of our family that would
succeed in touching the lives of everyone he contacted. Allow
me to introduce my canine companion; his name is Jake
and he is a six year old Golden
Retriever. He was the best wedding present a dog lover
could ask
for and leaves his paw prints on the hearts of every
person he meets.
Jake has been registered
with Therapy Dogs International since his first birthday
and is a Delta Society
Pet Partner. He has earned 10 competition titles from
AKC and UKC in
obedience and agility.
Aside from being my best friend and traveling
buddy he also
reaches out to others in a very special way. He is
a
VERY special member of Duke's Children's Hospital's
Critical Care Unit's Pet Therapy Program. He was
selected for the program during it's inception over
3
years ago and is the only remaining original member.
He
provides unconditional love and hope to
children who are hospitalized with very critical
illnesses. Instead of bringing needles and medicine
we
bring love and cheer. Children smile and laugh when
Jake
is around. He has been known to wear a fire hat and
cuddle on the beds with children who are immobile.
He
performs tricks and is a ham for the camera. Children
who are totally unresponsive to human interaction,
light
up , become vocal and respond only to Jake. His
unconditional love for children make him a cherished
member of our family and Duke's. I am proud of the
fact that we helped to
raise over 2 million dollars for Duke by participating
in their
annual radio-thon. He became a popular personality
and
callers wanted to talk to him before they sent in
a
pledge. We had a BLAST and have been invited back
next year to participate
in this wonderful cause.
In January of 98 my world was crushed when I found
a
lump on Jake's side. Upon further testing it was found
to be a malignant histiocytoma (cancer). I was
heartbroken but determined to fight! How could
a
dog, whose purpose in life was to provide comfort
to terminally ill children be terminally ill himself?
Our options were to have the lump removed or risk
it
spreading to other critical areas. The answer was
clear
and the tumor removed. His beautiful fur was shaved
bald. Through it all his spirit and trust remained
high.
Despite having three layers of muscle removed and
dealing with a long rehabilitation he continued to
visit
Duke while his coat was growing in. He became a source
of inspiration and a connection for those kids who
had cancer and chemo rob them of their hair. Jake
became and remains the most popular Pet Therapist
in the
Program. He has some special friends that rely on
him
weekly to boost their spirits. Kristin (name changed
for privacy) an 8 year old who during her last day
of a 5 day chemo treatment had her pain comforted
and
literally fell asleep with Jake in her arms. He relaxed
and calmed her so much that she fell asleep. But I
do
have to admit that Jake fell asleep for a little
while too. To this day she is still our special friend
to whom we bring a message of hope and determination.
He provides comfort to parents and nurses
who care for critically ill children as well. We met
a
mother on our rounds whose son was critically ill.
She
gave Jake such a hug that somehow he knew she was
letting go of her pain and grief. He offered her a
"Golden Paw Shake" which she accepted. To me he was
saying, "I UNDERSTAND !" It was amazing to see Jake
just
sit there licking her tears away. At last she did
finally smile. She laughed softly and kissed him and
went on her way. He is a therapist that no human could
EVER match!
Along with our volunteer work at Duke we participate in
various annual community charity events as well as
obedience and agility demonstrations when asked. I
have
given talks to various therapists; speech, occupational
and physical about how animal assisted activities
can be integrated into daily
sessions with patients. Jake has inspired me to pursue
a master's
degree in school guidance counseling. With this avenue
of Animal Assisted Therapy I can integrate a dog's
healing touch and reach the difficult children
society has forgotten. This my mission and I have
Jake
to thank for the inspiration.
He proves his versatility by visiting the
school where I teach and annually presenting a
Prevent-A-Bite program to grades K-5.
This program teaches children how NOT to be bitten
by a
dog. We also demonstrate how nice a well trained Canine
Good Citizen is to own. He is a very special dog and
indeed worthy of all the love and kisses that are
bestowed on him. His love for people of all ages and
desire to
please make him a true representative of the Golden
Retriever breed. His will to survive and a strength
when
you're down attitude make him a dog like no other
I have
ever owned. He is my couch potato, wet nose, slurpy
kiss, and will always be my canine soul mate.
