Freedom brightens halls at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
MIAMI - As a golden retriever named Freedom walked through the hallways at the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, he instantly lifted the spirits of everyone around him.
On this day, father of twin girls, Charlie Vargas really needed to feel the warmth that Freedom brought to the room. One of his daughters, 8-year-old Zoe was undergoing a test, in her battle against neuroblastoma.
"Zoe's downstairs on the 4th floor. She's having a bone marrow extraction. It's a diagnostic test to determine how well her radiation treatment has worked," said Vargas.
Zoe has been dealing with tumors all over her body since she was about four years old. Her father told CBS News Miami she must take medications that are difficult to swallow and a lot of them make her sick. Zoe started getting scared of the medications and that's when Freedom stepped in.
"She started playing with her like she was pretending to give her medication and then she would take her medication," said Vargas.
Freedom is one of six therapy dogs across the healthcare system.
He works five days a week, eight hours a day. There is even a special bark line that patients can call if they need a special visit from Freedom.
Licensed Clinical Therapist, Maria Atkinson works with children and teenagers in the hospital system as they work through mental health issues and battle physical ailments. She said she immediately noticed an impact when she began incorporating Freedom and the other therapy dogs into her sessions.
"I would immediately see a mood change. Their effect would completely brighten and they would get so excited bringing the dog in. They immediately provide that comfort. They immediately provide a sense of calm. Because it's an unthreatening situation right, you see a dog and it immediately brings a smile to your face," said Atkinson.
The therapy dogs begin training when they are puppies and they are ready to begin working once they are 2 years old. Vargas told CBS News Miami Freedom has had a tremendous positive impact on his daughter's mental health.
"This beautiful animal came in and all of a sudden, her eyes opened up. That fear that you could see, the minute that dog walked in her complete aspect changed," said Vargas.
The therapy dogs are with the hospital system for about eight years. The therapy dog program has been so successful that they are making plans to add even more dogs to the team.