A canine is a lady’s greatest good friend.
At least, Chevy was Katie’s greatest good friend for a season. Someone who confirmed up when life was at its worst. When I had not seen her smile in weeks, Chevy introduced her smile again.
At that point, Katie had just lately relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma which was displaying itself to be unresponsive to therapy. She had just lately been flown from WV to Cincinnati in grave situation. After a pair weeks of intense administration, she was now awakening to life as a youngster residing in a hospital with an unknown prognosis. Oh, and she or he was dropping her hair. Again. It’s actually no surprise the smile had disappeared.
Chevy and Katie Meet
At their first assembly, Chevy peed within the hallway. Katie walked out of her hospital room on weak and unsteady legs to sit down in a chair and throw a ball to him. Her eyes obtained as large as her smile and all of us simply laughed when he hiked that leg up! (Please notice – he doesn’t usually try this, however Chevy works 40 hours every week and it had been an extended day for the pup!)
He launched her to the outside playground on the fifth ground as a result of greatest mates share secrets and techniques. She taught him tips and gave him treats as a result of, effectively, mates try this, too.
He visited the ICU when he wasn’t purported to. On arduous days when there actually have been no phrases to share, Chevy simply laid there, as a result of generally mates don’t have to speak.
He additionally confirmed up on days when life was good – just like the day she was discharged from the hospital. With his naturally crimped ears and snazzy bow tie, he’s fairly the charmer. I swear that canine may even smile!
Chevy supported Katie by means of radiation
He despatched encouraging notes when she was going by means of outpatient radiation. What Chevy was not capable of do together with his personal two paws, his handler managed for him. His handler is a youngster life therapist at Cincinnati Children’s, additionally named Katie, who cherished on our household in ways in which went effectively past no matter paycheck she acquired. She knew our Katie’s character, what she favored, what would upset her, find out how to assist her by means of procedures, her favourite meals, what workers she associated to greatest and who she loved the least. 
You could hear me sometimes discuss with graces so quiet that only a few folks even discover them. I’ve realized to search for these. To hear for them. To discover them hidden in actually ugly locations. There are a whole lot of graces hidden in that hospital.
Katie went dwelling for 3 actually nice months. Other than the baseball cap overlaying her head, it could have been tough to see her as a most cancers affected person. She smiled and laughed and cherished life to the utmost. Regular journeys to Cincinnati for infusions discovered her in search of Chevy. On a couple of event, we’d linger in his favourite locations earlier than making the lengthy drive dwelling, hoping to sit down within the foyer rubbing his stomach for just some minutes. It could not have been fortunate, however his furry ears have been a lot better than any rabbit’s foot.
Unfortunately, as a lot we wished to consider that Katie’s inside therapeutic matched her exterior countenance, it simply didn’t. She smiled increasingly as her most cancers obtained worse and worse, regardless of each ounce of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation we used towards it. Her final week was spent in Hawaii on a Make-A-Wish journey with us and her 4 siblings. The journey was unimaginable, stuffed with laughter amidst ache and uncertainty. So very like Katie’s life. And, in related vogue, the journey was minimize quick.
Chevy and Katie’s final go to
Chevy hung out with Katie on her final day. He was sitting beside my children within the little convention room when Chad and I informed them their sister was going to die. Having him there in that second was nothing lower than God’s quiet, stunning grace.
So final Friday, Chad and I went to Cincinnati at hand ship a donation to Chevy and to provide him a extremely good stomach rub. Our native little league in our hometown, by means of a baseball/softball event in Katie’s reminiscence, raised a big sum of money which they wished to provide towards one thing Katie believed in. Some of the cash went to different organizations, and a few of it went to the Animal Assisted Therapy Program inside the Department of Child Life at Cincinnati Children’s. I knew pet remedy existed earlier than we went there, however I truthfully had no concept how priceless it may very well be in a baby’s therapeutic.
It was fantastic to see all of Katie’s staff that day. Dr. Norris, Dr. Ben, Molly (our social employee), and Meg (one in every of our favourite nurses). They all hugged us as household. But Chevy and Katie have been the rationale we went. Because when no physician, no nurse, no radiation, no trendy drugs might heal her, Chevy might do what nobody else might. He might simply be together with her. As greatest mates do.
Editor’s notice: This publish initially appeared on Sarah Cobb’s weblog, Courageous Katie.