SHE'S IN A COMA

The Story of Lily & Jordan

 Kim's mother looked at us in disbelief of what she had seen.  Earlier, she hadn't comprehended her daughter's words "Dog Therapy" even when a nurse said "you know, woof woof."  People believe in CAT Scans why not Dog Therapy, I thought.

Kim had been rushed to the Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday and underwent brain surgery for an aneurysm.  We found her in Intensive Care where the staff told me that she was in a coma and no one knew when or even if she would come out of it.  It was now Wednesday afternoon and her mother had just left the room for the coffee shop.

Her private nurse assured me it was OK to visit this nearly lifeless girl whose eyes were open but unaware.  I asked her if she would like to pat a dog.  Of course, there was no reaction.  I reached across and put her lifeless hand on the head of Lily, the German Shepherd who helped me start Therapy Dogs of Vermont.  To my amazement, her fingers gently began to stroke the dog's fur.  "Aha!  She's in there" I thought.  So, I invited first Lily and then her sister, Jordan onto Kim's bed.  All of the time, Kim's eyes were fighting to focus and her hands struggling to gently pat these magnificent dogs.  Jordan sized up the situation well and did exactly what the girl wanted.  She stretched out across the girl's chest.  Her nurse's eyes went wide as Kim's little arms came up to hug the dog.  I looked at Kim and told her I would get a picture of her with the dogs if she would get out of the bed and into the large hospital type chair.  Her head turned toward me and she uttered her first words since Friday.  "OK".

At that point, the nurse asked us to leave so she could get the little girl attired and out of bed.  We left to visit with other patients after which her mother returned from the coffee shop.  Her daughter had begun to pull out of her coma.  "Guess what, Ma, I've had dog therapy".  Stunned to see her daughter awake and out of bed, her mother replied "Uh, what kind of a machine is that, Kim?".  Even the nurse could not convince her that the hospital would allow dogs into a room in Intensive Care.  Minutes later, she was amazed when we returned with three costumed canines ready to continue our visit with Kim.

 "You have no idea how much good you are doing" said Lorraine Finnigan of Saranac Lake, NY, after she watched the dogs interacting with her daughter   More than anything, her body language told us all about the appreciation that she had for the transformation we had started in her daughter.

 Later that week we received a card in the mail.  "Thank you for bringing your wonderful Therapy Dogs to see Kim.  When your dogs entered her room, I saw the first smile on my daughter's face since her brain surgery six days prior.  Patting them and throwing toys for them to catch was a definite highlight in her recovery."

 TDV members visited with Kim three times before she was released from the hospital.  After the final visit, she accompanied us on our rounds to bring her special brand of cheer to others not so far along in their recovery.

 Sometimes, as TDV members, we wonder if we are doing anything of value with the time and energy we and our dogs are investing in hospitals and nursing  homes.  In Kim's case, we know we did OK.

- Steve Reiman - Therapy Dogs of Vermont

Story written for K9HERO.COM and used with permisson and thanks