At Optimum Pediatrics, we love to give shoutouts and recognition to people who are improving the lives of medically fragile children. This September, we want to take a moment to acknowledge another positive influence on our patients' lives – one with four legs instead of two! September is National Service Dog Awareness Month, and we are celebrating the impact that service dogs and therapy dogs have on the lives of medically fragile children.
In this blog, we want to introduce you to a special K9 who has truly left her pawprint on our nurses' hearts.
Meet Levi and Vada
The following story is from the family of our patient, Levi.
“Levi received Vada in May of 2024, and they have already made a bond that is so remarkable that we can hardly remember what it was like to go without her! She is a 2-year-old lab/golden cross, who we received after being matched with her from Canine Companions International. She has gone through extensive training since she was 8 weeks old, including 6 months of professional training where she learned skills to help Levi in his day-to-day life. These skills include retrieving dropped items, turning the lights on/off, opening/closing doors, alerting us if he becomes disconnected from his ventilator, and most importantly super snuggles, and many, many other tasks! They are a fantastic team, and we love that she is able to be another tool towards giving Levi as much independence as possible.”
Show Appreciation for Service Dogs This Month
We hope you enjoyed getting to learn a little more about Levi and Vada’s relationship. This September, we encourage you all to spread the word about the good stewards that service and therapy dogs are.
If you’re interested in learning more about Optimum Pediatrics and our in-home pediatric care services for medically fragile children, contact us. We’d love to hear from you!
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