Staying in hospital can be difficult for patients, often causing fear and anxiety, especially in younger individuals. These emotions can easily take over, but hospitals in Richmond, Virginia, have programs to relieve some of the stress and create moments of joy.
Due to a program called Dogs On Call provided by the non-profit organization Center for Human-Animal Interaction, at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, the sound of dogs coming down the hallway creates an atmosphere of excitement among child patients. For 21 years, the volunteer-run program has been connecting dogs with those in need of an inspiring moment.
With the necessary registration steps, dogs and handlers can participate in weekly visits to the hospital. Besides the scheduled visits, parents or children can request a specific team to visit their rooms.
“When a patient interacts with a dog, it can decrease blood pressure and reduce pain,” says Nancy R. Gee, executive director of the center. Their faces change just for a moment. They’re not thinking about their health situation or their pain. Just for that moment, they’re just kids with a dog.
Instead of Dogs On Call, Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond provides Happy Wheels, a program in which a cart full of treats and other items rolling through the halls of the hospital. The volunteer-run program visits four times a week. They go from room to room to hand out toys, coffee, snacks, and other comfort items. All of the items found in the cart are donated to the program and handed out to families in all children’s care units.
“It’s an opportunity for the children to be children and to get excited about a new toy coming in their rooms, ”says Laura Gepford, child life specialist at St. Mary’s Hospital. “Besides the fevers, the medicine and all the difficult things that occur in the hospital, they have the shining of happy moments. That’s what people hold onto. ”
【小题1】What do we know about the program Dogs On Call?| A．Dogs might frighten the child patients. |
| B．Dog visits must follow a fixed schedule. |
| C．It gives mental treatment to the child patients. |
| D．It is financially supported by the government. |
| A．Children care for dogs by nature. |
| B．Children’s moods are changeable. |
| C．Children are too young to take their illness seriously. |
| D．Children’s spirits are lifted by the dogs’ companion. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Appreciative. | C．Dissatisfied. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．By bringing patients comfort and cheer. |
| B．By changing people’s attitude to illness. |
| C．By telling people the importance of play. |
| D．By guiding parents to better comfort kids. |
