A much-loved therapy dog service that supports young cancer patients at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, has secured another year of funding thanks to a pledge from pupils at St Thomas More RC College in Denton.
The service sees cocker spaniels Lilo and Luna visit the hospital every fortnight to spend time with children during treatment and helps lower their stress levels, reduce feelings of pain, alleviate anxiety and provide comfort and support.
Funding for the service was due to end this month, but St Thomas More RC College stepped in and has pledged to support the service for the next 12 months.
The therapy dog service is funded by The Christie Charity and offers comfort, calm and a sense of home to young patients at one of the UK’s leading specialist cancer centres. By bringing trained therapy dogs into the proton beam therapy centre at The Christie hospital in Manchester, the programme helps children relax during challenging treatment journeys and boost their motivation.
Health Play Specialist, Therese Smith, says: “The service is a big hit with patients, their families and staff. The visits enhance the emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing of children, families and even our staff. The feedback from the visits has been so positive we are hoping to expand the service and arrange more regular sessions moving forward.”
Jen Hague, Head of RE and Liturgy from St Thomas More RC College Denton, says: “We are so proud to be fundraisers for The Christie Charity for the ninth year running. Every Lent as a community - pupils, staff and parents/carers - we all aim to dedicate this very important time in the liturgical year to helping others. With so many of our community having links to the support and care of The Christie, it is both a personal and community act showing our gratitude for all it has done and continues to do. When asked to have the focus on the therapy dog service our community jumped at the chance. It’s a brilliant cause which shows another element of care that The Christie provides. As it’s our ninth year of fundraising, our theme will be Canine - or if you will K9! We have so many projects for fundraising planned - cake sales, car washes, raffles, football tournaments and so much more.”
Clara Gibson’s daughter Jaye, aged 11, from Kildare in Ireland is being treated for rhabdomyosarcoma (a soft tissue cancer) near the base of her brain and has found the therapy dogs a real comfort during her treatment. Clara says: “One of the first things Jaye spotted when she came for her assessment appointment in December was a poster advertising the pet therapy service. Her face lit up and she was thrilled that she would get to see Luna and Lilo when her treatment started. We have two dogs of our own Otto and Carter and she really misses them, and so it was really important to her to be able to take part in the therapy sessions. There was one occasion when she’d a really rough week and was very sick, but the moment she saw the dogs she didn’t stop smiling. It would be wonderful if they could come in every week so that more children could benefit from the service.”
Jennifer Kent, Community Fundraising Officer at The Christie Charity, says: “St Thomas More has been a dedicated and loyal supporter of The Christie Charity for nearly 10 years and we couldn’t be more grateful. Their support directly impacts what we are able to offer patients and their families at The Christie hospital. This year they have chosen to support our pet therapy service which is an amazing service that supports our younger patients through their treatment. Hospitals can be scary places for anyone, but in particular children, and so our health play specialist team works incredibly hard to ensure younger patients are put at ease during their treatment. The therapy dogs have become a vital part of this effort and we would welcome any other individual or organisation that would like to support the service to get in touch so we can look at offering more sessions moving forward.”
Sessions take place at the proton beam therapy centre’s reception area on the ground floor - affectionately known as the ‘Pet Therapy Corner’ - and families note the impact of the sessions saying they often spark conversations between parents and carers, creating a supportive environment and connections among those facing similar experiences.
The programme is currently delivered every other Friday by a qualified Health Play Specialist, alongside the therapy dog handler, with one or two dogs attending each session. Demand for the service has grown significantly, and the hope is that it can be extended to a weekly visit in the future.
To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today or ring 0161 446 3988.
The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to cancer patients and their families.