The Impact of Animal Assisted Therapy

By Caroline Denning

Have you ever spotted a furry friend in the halls of Cook Children’s? Chances are, it is one of Cook Children’s many animal-assisted therapy dogs.

Skylar (Sky) Runnels, patient care technician and medical assistant at Cook Children’s, has seen the significance of these special dogs both as a caregiver and as a patient. In 2018, at just 17 years old, Sky was recovering from a surgery to remove a hemorrhagic cyst. She has a rare bleeding disorder, Von Willebrand’s Disorder, so hospital stays are not outside of the norm. During her recovery, Cheryl Farrell and one of her previous therapy dogs, Pixie, visited Sky. 

 “I was very depressed at that moment,” shares Sky. “I’m already in the hospital for so much, then I didn’t feel good, and I was lonely.” On this day, Cheryl and Pixie were doing their usual rounds when they stopped by Sky’s room. Pixie was holding a carrot on her nose and jumped right up on Sky’s bed to greet her. “Seeing Cheryl come in the room and bring Pixie just lightened my day,” continues Sky. “Though I was really, really sick, it gave me some motivation to see the better side of things.”

Sometimes it isn’t just the patients who benefit from visits from a therapy dog. “There are times that you’re not just there for the patients, but for the families too,” says Cheryl. “Just having a fur friend lie on you and do some tricks for you is very comforting,” agrees Sky. “It can release a lot of anxiety.” 

A Full-Circle Connection

Oftentimes, this duo never gets to know how their interaction impacts people. “I could tell you stories that would make you cry and Skylar was just probably one of many,” says Cheryl. “Sometimes you throw a rock into water and you have those immediate rippling effects, and sometimes you never get to see what the rippling effects are.”

Luckily, Cheryl and Sky have recently found each other again. Cheryl and her current corgi, Beau, were doing their weekly patient visits when Sky came up and introduced herself to them. She then told Cheryl about her interaction with her and Pixie as a patient years ago. Sky then shared that one of the reasons she chose a career in the medical field was because of her interactions with Pixie and the care she received as a patient. “Like I said with Sky, it was so cool just to see the circle being complete,” beamed Cheryl. Sky still has photos of her visit from Cheryl and Pixie, which she was so excited to show.

Volunteer with a Heart of Gold

Cheryl has been volunteering at Cook Children’s since 2008 and has had multiple four-legged partners during her time here. Her partners have included Pogo, Manny, Pixie, Halo, and now her current partner, Beau. Beau is a young Corgi who has been with Cheryl for almost two and a half years. She got Beau when he was four months old, and she immediately put him into puppy classes to get him familiar with being around other people. Beau then completed multiple levels of training and eventually passed the test to become certified. “They don’t just test the dog, they test you together as a team,” explains Cheryl.

Beau and Cheryl have a unique bond. After raising and training four previous Corgis, Beau continues Cheryl’s Corgi family tradition of visiting Cook Children’s patients and families. Cheryl describes this program as a “comfort program.” “The role of an animal-assisted therapy dog is to be a resource that patients, families, and even health care providers can lean on when they need a break from everyday stresses,” says Cheryl. 

Cheryl is a gift to the entire system. “While her dogs tend to steal the spotlight, Cheryl is the one with the heart of gold,” beams Marie Howell, manager of volunteer services at Cook Children’s. “Her compassion and empathy for the patients are what keep her coming. Cheryl also does staff visits whenever she can – how lucky we are to have her!” 

In 2022, Cheryl Farrell was honored as Patient Care Volunteer of the year for her countless hours of remarkable service. She has served over 500 hours as an incredible, impactful volunteer.

About Animal Assisted Therapy Teams

Animal Assisted Therapy Teams consist of the volunteer and their pet dog. The dog has to be complex certified by Pet Partners and be evaluated by our Animal Assisted Therapy Team Lead. At that point, they can apply to volunteer. “Though it is a rigorous process, we want to be absolutely secure about the team before they onboard and interact with patients and families,” explains Marie. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Animal Assisted Therapy Team, please reach out to Marie at [email protected].