"Here is a story about Therapy Dog Simon! When Simon was starting out as a Therapy Dog about 6-7 years ago, we were visiting a local seniors home and the nurses on the unit asked us to come in to visit a resident. The resident, an elderly lady, with a face so kind and gentle looking, had suffered a severe stroke. She had lost the ability to move and communicate in any way, with any one. She just lay there in the bed, sometimes she had her eyes open sometimes she had her eyes closed. You could tell that the nurses loved her very much by the gentle way they spoke to her, and by the way they stroked her hair and face when they spoke to her, but she gave no indication to them that she even knew they were there. We entered the room and the nurses allowed Simon up on the bed beside the lady in the bed, and of course Simon loved that! The nurse spoke in a whisper to the lady in her ear that a little friend had come to visit her and gently took her hand and placed it on Simons furry head and back and began to guide her hand in a stroking motion on his fur. The nurse at all times was whispering in her ear that the little friend was visiting her and if she liked he would come back another day and visit again. She reminded the lady that when she was a girl, she had a dog as a pet, and that they would play and run thru the fields back home. She did not respond in any way. After a short visit of about fifteen minutes, we decided that the visitation was long enough and proceeded to say good bye to her and get Simon down off the bed. When the nurse started to take the ladys hand away from Simons head, the lady moved her hand back to the place it was on Simons head. This was the first time since her stroke that she had moved anything on her own. The nurse tried it again and again the lady moved her hand ever so slowly back to where it had been on the dogs fur. We waited another few minutes as the nurse gently spoke to the lady in a quite voice and after a minute or two the lady seemed to drop off to sleep, for when the nurse removed her hand from Simons head again, she did not attempt to move it back and her eyes were closed. It has been proven time and time again that the connection between humans and animals is a powerful one. Animals especially dogs, can sense many things about humans, they can feel the emotions we feel and experience, happiness, sadness, loneliness, and fear. They seem to know when to be rowdy and when they need just to be quite, curl up beside someone, and take a little rest! They make great companions and some of them excel as Therapy Dogs. It is said the just by stroking your pets fur as it curls up beside you can lower your blood pressure and give you a sense of peacefulness. It has been proven time and time again, sometimes in small ways sometimes in big ways, that they can make a difference in a seniors life by visiting the Local Seniors Home."
Carol Parsons
Mt. Pearl, NL
“One of the best rewards about being a member of St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs Services is seeing the reactions of people we visit. A wagging tail or a sloppy kiss often triggers the memory of a dementia patient, of a dog they once had. Our dogs are often called many names, depending which dog is being remembered. A brief smile or groan may be the highlight of our visit, but we know our dog has reached inside their mind and made a connection. We are there to Care and how lucky are we to be able to do it with our best friend.”
Earl Robinson
Hamilton, Ontario
“I consider volunteering with St. John Ambulance as a win/win situation for all involved. For myself personally, through St. John Ambulance I have met persons with the same interests as myself. To give back to our community; be in contact with interesting persons and the best of all to be able to do all this with my beloved four legged family member.”
Ida Fay Dartnall
Hamilton, Ontario
“The best thing about volunteering for St. John Ambulance for many Patient Care members is the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the health care field. Several of our members have taken their start in St. John and moved into careers in nursing, medicine, emergency services or paramedicine (such as myself), in great part due to their experiences as volunteers. It opens one's eyes to the larger world of prehospital care and emergency medicine, and allows one to give back to one's community. In a situation where seconds may count, St. John Ambulance volunteers save lives. The skills learned in training for St. John Ambulance are applicable to a variety of careers and lifestyles, and help to build confidence and strength of character. People who are capable of handling emergencies and thinking on their feet are better prepared to deal with unexpected situations that may arise in their own lives. Volunteering gives me a sense of worth, and of civil responsibility. Much of my personal growth into the person I am and the path my life has taken are due in large part to my involvement with St. John Ambulance. It is a debt I am happy to repay for as long as I can.”
Michael Thomas
Mississauga, Ontario
“The best thing about volunteering with SJA is that I can learn more knowledge about first aid that I can really use in my daily life and because of this I have become more confident. If I volunteered for another type of organization, what I could do is no more than making friends and offering my service. I would highly recommend my friends to join SJA to make more friends, to learn more first aid knowledge, to acquire higher qualifications in first aid and to get more confidence. ”
Andrew Ling