Personal Injury Law

Children's Hospital in Sacramento Provides Pet Therapy to the Severely Injured

By Moseley Collins, Esq.

In our own home town of Sacramento, pets are being used to heal sick children. Yes, you heard me right. At Shriners Hospital for Children - Northern California, volunteers bring in pets for the children to play with or just be around. The children seem to greatly benefit from the pets. Take for example, Rachael Wilson, a patient who suffered a spinal cord injury at age 12, who says she feels like the pets give her a sense of freedom she did not have before. Another patient, 15-year old Austin Lee, has been in a wheelchair since he was hit by a truck some time back. He says that he loves having the pets visit and that they remind him of his own pets back home.

The hospital serves as a place children go after severe accidents as well as a place for ongoing treatments and surgeries. The animals take some of the tension out the ordeals the children are subject to go through.

Other studies show that pet therapy does in fact, seem to aid those who face a terminal or life-altering illness. These animals can offer a constant source of comfort, a feeling of unconditional love, and an attentional focus. For example, one study was conducted on patients who were in the intensive care unit for heart attack or angina. One year after the hospitalization, 28% of patients who did not have a pet died, compared to 6% of deaths in patients who did own a pet.

Although I wouldn?t start saying that pet therapy is a total cure for sickness, it does seem to have many benefits. If you or a loved one is suffering from a life-altering or life-threatening illness, I would say to give it a try. The comfort and joy you can find in a pet can be incredible.

Until next time?

Click here for more information on pet therapy.

Click here to see the full article on Shriner?s Hospital.

Full post as published by Sacramento Injury Lawyer Blog on September 28, 2007 (boomark / email).