Bringing smiles to young patients at the RVI

Jackie and Martin have been familiar faces on Ward 1b at the RVI for the past five years, and more recently on Ward 7 too. They visit with their Cockapoo, Daisy, first as Pets As Therapy volunteers, and now proudly wearing the red bandanas for Wag & Company, which is all part of our wonderful partnership with Newcastle Hospitals.

As everyone knows, our mission is to end loneliness in elderly people in our region, and visiting children is new for Wag, so hearing first hand about the difference these dogs, are making for children of all ages with significant health conditions is both heartwarming and heart wrenching.

Jackie and Martin visit with Cockapoo Daisy, and typically they’re accompanied by an occupational health specialist, a play specialist, or a physiotherapist. Their visits are all about Daisy helping the children to achieve new health milestones, whatever they may be. Sometimes, only a Cockapoo doing a ‘Camo Crawl’ – see YouTube – is the right incentive for a child with mobility issues to move after them.

Recently, a 10 year old patient was asked to come up with a new trick he’d like Daisy to learn. His choice? A backflip. Of course it was! While Daisy hasn’t quite mastered acrobatics, Jackie and Martin have taught her to pick up and deliver mail, and they’ve even written Easter cards for the children so Daisy can deliver them herself. Hopefully a worthy substitute!

Back flip or not, their visits are not only a pick me up for the professionals supporting the children, but a source of light in difficult times for children and their families.

Go Daisy, we’ll be waiting with interest to see how that back flip develops…