Making a Difference

One of my rugby teammates broke his hip and was in the hospital for a few weeks so Morey and I went to visit him while he was on the rehab unit. Two of our able-bodied volunteers on the rugby team work on that unit and one of them was working with a patient while we were leaving.  She asked if Morey could say hello to her patient, an older man walking unsteadily with a walker and wearing an eye patch. I agreed and watched Morey as he watched the man approach; ears up and alert as he tried to figure out the unusual being moving toward him.


As soon as the man got close he reached out his hand and spoke to Morey. Once Morey realized the being was a human, he eagerly moved forward to accept the petting. We made small talk while Morey enjoyed (put up with) a few flat handed pats on the head. The whole interaction only lasted a few minutes and then we continued on our way.


A week or so later at rugby practice, the volunteer who had worked with the man thanked me for letting Morey say hello and told me that her patient had talked about Morey everyday until he was discharged. Apparently he has his own dogs at home and really missed them. I was amazed that such a short interaction had made such on an impact and was glad we had taken the time to interact with him.


Morey's first job is obviously being my service dog but I am always glad to be able to share him with others when I can. From little kids who were scared of dogs to old men recovering from strokes I am glad Morey has been able to make a positive difference in the lives of others!