Marley was a little nervous at first. Although we had briefly walked through 100 Oaks briefly a few weeks ago, this was the first time we would actually visit with patients and staff members. Marley sniffed around a lot and his eyes darted up and down the hallways as dozens of people walked by.
The clinics were a little slow for a Monday afternoon. We visited the infusion unit first. This is where men and women that are receiving chemo are hooked up to IV’s, sometimes for hours at a time. Marley and I walked through the unit, peeking to see if any patients were up for a visit. We only visited two women here, but both were very nice and seemed to appreciate Marley stopping by.
Next, we went on to the pediatric unit. I have a soft spot for kids, and especially for kids with disabilities. While there, we ran into several children, two of whom were wheelchair users! I informed them both that Marley was partial to wheelchairs since I use one too. A few of the children were a little scared at first, and I could tell Marley sensed this because he would only go to the children who were ready to pet him.
One moment in particular yesterday stood out to me. We were visiting a young boy who wanted to feed Marley a treat. Now, Marley loves food more than just about everything, so when he took the treat from the boy’s hand, he was a little too eager. Marley didn’t hurt the child at all, but Marley’s excitement had scared the boy. I encouraged this child to try a second time, but this time holding the treat in his flat palm. In the 6 years we’ve been together, I’ve never seen Marley be as gentle as he was for the second treat. Marley totally sensed that he had scared the boy, and went out of his way to be slow and cautious around the boy’s small hand. This kid then looked up at me and smiled. It was such a powerful moment and I have never been prouder of my scruffy friend.
I cannot wait to see what future visits hold for us.
- Emily Hoskins
Independent Living Specialist