A second-year medical student has been using technology to bring joy to healthcare workers with her dog, according to Yahoo News.
Caroline Benzel and Loki, a two-year-old Rottweiler therapy dog, are giving remote therapy dog visits using FaceTime. Loki is a two-year-old Rottweiler therapy dog at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), where Benzel also studies.
They would usually FaceTime patients and tell them to imagine that they're outside the hospital.
Benzel describes Loki as a "natural at her job," whom she trained since she was 18 weeks old. "I've never met a dog that's so empathetic. It's kind of strange. There have been many circumstances at the hospital where she can just read a situation where a patient is in a very bad way or a family member is going through a loss," she said.
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Highly requested by hospitals
In an Instagram post, Benzel said, "from the nurses and social workers who directly message me to come visit their patients who need a little extra TLC, to the times when we are losing someone and they want us to help them transition to their next life more easily."
They noticed that face masks were not helping the front-liners. Benzel said, "I was seeing the masks doing the damage to the nursing staff, the doctors, the social workers, because everyone, custodians to doctors are all required to wear it," Benzel said. This prompted Benzel to make care packages called Hero Healing Kits.
View this post on InstagramRemote therapy dog visits? That is something people are even interested in?? YES!! Over the last week, Loki and I have been trying to fine tune the art of digital visitations. For all my fellow therapy dogs: this has come as a welcome change from the hospital view. The staff and patients have truly enjoyed seeing something different since- at least at our hospital- all visitations have been halted. A simple conversation can completely change the outlook of a patient. I challenge all of you to figure out creative ways to help your frontline people!! THEY are the ones keeping us from chaos!! ️️SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOSPITALS ️️ I am truly blessed to be a medical student at a hospital system that cares about its people. From @wtembroidery who took the time and care to design Loki’s gorgeous white coat, to @kerrysobol and @gioranetzer who figured out how to make therapy dogs more easily accessible to patients and staff at our hospital.. From the nurses and social workers who directly message me to come visit their patients who need a little extra TLC, to the times when we are losing someone and they want us to help them transition to their next life more easily... We truly are a community there. @umdmedcenter WE ARE HERE FOR YOU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #dogtorloki #emt #premed #rn #scrubs #residency #resident #rottiesofinstagram #Rottweiler #doctor #nurse #rottie #medicine #dogsofig #dogsofinsta #puppy #dog #petstagram #rottweilersofinstagram #dailyfluff #dogoftheday #cutepup #medstudent #hospital #medlife #medicalschool #doggo #medschool #ellenratemydog A post shared by Loki ️the Therapy Rottweiler (@dogtor.loki) on Mar 28, 2020 at 7:59am PDT
Physical and emotional help
Each Hero Healing Kit contains a hypoallergenic lotion and medicated powder (for skin prone to irritation), gum packs (for dry mouth), Vaseline, tea and coffee packets, and chapstick.
The kit is also a way for Benzel to give back to the community after helping her financially with Loki's Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in the past.
"I didn't know how I was going to come up with that kind of money as a medical student. The hospital staff [at UMMC] suggested I do a GoFundMe, and the whole surgery and physical therapy ended up being covered by donations within two weeks," she said to Yahoo News.
Benzel wanted to repay the favor and showed her how much she and Loki cares for the system.
Pay it forward
Benzel is not just giving people at UMMC a reason to smile. It has also inspired other people to do the same, such as a medical student from Philadelphia who started the Hero Healing Initiative there.
She has expanded and created kits for other hospitals, too, with a total of 1,400 Hero Healing Kits and $400 raised by medical students.
Prior to the pandemic, Loki went to hospitals in a custom-made white coat whenever she would visit patients. Due to the lockdown, Benzel and Loki are unable to visit hospitals. They can only meet their clients online.
That hasn't stopped the duo from doing good during the pandemic. They have assembled nearly 2,000 kits with the help of others. "
"So far we have raised over 1,400 total kits, but are closer to +1,600 incomplete kits The donations keep coming in!! Needless to say, we are blown away by the kindness and generosity of people. We will be distributing the majority of these to 4 different hospitals over the next week. AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING," Benzel said on Instagram.
