BC Children’s Hospital celebrates over 5,000 interactions between patients, families and their furriest volunteers

BC Children’s Hospital is celebrating a pawsome milestone of furry interactions between their therapy pets and patients and families accessing care. Data released today marks over 5,000 interactions from April 2022 to March 2023 between patients and the Pet Therapy Program, presented by PetSmart Charities of Canada through funding to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, with over 1,000 volunteer hours recorded during this same period.

The program aims to reduce the stress and anxiety many patients and families experience while accessing care at both hospitals. Based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients and families, the Patient Experience team made the decision to expand the initiative in 2021 to include monthly Pets Assisting the Wellness of Staff (PAWS) events for hospital staff.

“When you visit the hospitals, you regularly hear the patter of furry feet along the corridors and in patient bedrooms as our dedicated volunteers and their four-legged friends interact with patients, families and our staff. While this program was temporarily disrupted at the start of the pandemic, it has rebounded with a renewed energy and has evolved into an integral part of our hospital experience and culture”, said Mary MacKillop, Director, Patient Experience with BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.

Since the Pet Therapy Program, presented by PetSmart Charities of Canada, was first launched in 2007, it has expanded to include 32 dogs, a cat and a rabbit, who undergo an assessment, along with their human companions, to determine their suitability to provide support in a busy acute care environment. The Patient Experience team also hosts pop-up events including their first miniature pony visit and Pet a Puppy session, all aimed at supporting the emotional and psychological needs of patients, families and staff.

BC Children’s Hospital patient Glen and his family love having visits to the Oncology unit from Pet Therapy

AwigAw BeI Akwl kI qbI clwX p Q[ sB is Kn k h km h g r mwinE g Q ]

Gurdwara Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar - 30640 Blueridge Drive, Abbotsford, BC sRI gurU gRMQ sfihb jI dy 419 sflf pRkfsL idhfVy dI smUh sMgqF nUM lwK-lwK vDfeI hovy jI! sqMbr 03 idn aYqvfr 2023 gurduafrf klgIDr drbfr sfihb aYbtsPorz

Program team member Gail and her Australian Cattle Dog, Olive.

Glen said, “I love all the therapy dogs, but Olive is the best!”

Volunteers also benefit from spending time with patients, families and staff, and facilitating moments of calm and comfort for people at the hospital. Speaking about their volunteering experience, Pet Therapy Program volunteer Gail said, “Each time I show up for a volunteer shift with Olive, there is a moment, a conversation or an interaction with a patient/parent or staff member that completely fills my heart with joy. I leave each week knowing that someone smiled, felt a little more valued or just got to exhale because of this program.” afp smUh sMgqF dy crnF ivwc bynqI kIqI jFdI hY ik sfihb sRI gurU gRMQ sfihb jI df 419vF pRkfsL idhfVf pihly sflF dI qrF ies sfl vI gurduafrf sfihb klgIDr drbfr sfihb aYbtsPorz ivKy sqMbr 03 idn aYqvfr nUM bhuq sLrDf siqkfr nfl mnfieaf jf irhf hY! afp smUh sMgqF nUM bynqI kIqI jFdI hY ik ies mhfn ngr kIrqn ivc phuMcky gurU mhfrfj dIaF KusLIaF prfpq kro jI. pRogrfmF df vyrvf ies pRkfr hY arMB sRI aKMz pfT sfihb 01 sqMbr idn sLukrvfr nUM svyry 8 vjy pRkfsL hoxgy ijnF dy Bog 3 sqMbr idn aYqvfr nUM svyry 8 vjy pfey jfxgy. Bog AuprMq 10 vjy qwk dIvfn swjxgy aqy 11 vjy ngr kIrqn dI rvfngI hovygI aqy vfpsI gurduafrf sfihb ivKy 5 vjy hovygI aqy smfpqI rfq 9 vjy hovygI. gurduafrf klgIDr dy smUh pRbMDkf vloN loar mYnlYz dy smUh gurduafrf sfihb sosfeItIaF smUh mIzIaf ryzIE hostF aqy tYlIivjn dy sMcflkf Kflsf skUlF pMQk jQybMdIaF gwqkf pfrtIaF aqy isK motrsfeIkl klbF aqy iswK pMQ dIaF drd rwKx vflIaF aqy gurU nfnk nfm lyvf smUh sMgqF nUM bynIaF kIqI jFdI hY ies sRI gurU gRMQ jI dy pihly pRkfsL idhfVy qy ies mhfn ngr ivc sLfml ho ky gurU mhfrfj jI dIaF KusLIaF pRfpq kro jI! sqMbr 02 idn sinwcrvfr 2023 kIrqn drbfr rfq dy 10 vjy sqMbr 03 idn sLuwkrvfr 2023 mhfn ZfzI drbfr pRbMDk ngr kIrqn jfxkfrI leI bfjL isMG: 604-825-6681 bajsingh@hotmail.com sMqosL kOr: 778-240-4063 hor jfxkfrI leI Pon kro jI blbIr isMG: 778-636-4247 inrml isMG: 604-556-4504 qy pRbMDk kmytI bfhroN afAux vflIaF sMgqF hyT ilKy QfvF qy kfrF pfrk kr skdIaF hn

Those interested in volunteering with the Pet Therapy Program, presented by PetSmart Charities of Canada, can email pettherapy@cw.bc.ca and visit the BC Children’s Hospital website.

Dave Kandal Elementary School

Harry Sayers Elementary School

Rick Hansen Secondary School

Eugene Reimer Middle School

Church Front Stalls Only

(Located across Kalgidhar Gurdwara) lVkI qy vI ivcfr kIqf jf skdf hY. sMprk kro : 778-536-7580

Roads Closed: Blueridge Drive Townline Road Southern Drive Sandpiper Drive Goldfinch Drive Rolling Street closures will be effect between 9 AM to 5 PM.

3 Helpful Tips To Boost Your Immune System As You Age

(NC) As we age, our immune system weakens, which is why older people are more susceptible to getting sick and often take longer to recover from illness than they did before. So, the older we get, the more important it is to give your immune system the support it needs. Here are three ways you can do that.

Eat well

The food you eat is the fuel your body needs to function. Consuming a variety of foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, to get all the nutrients you need while minimizing the amount of processed foods you eat will help you stay healthy.

Smoking and drinking alcohol both negatively affect your immune system, so you should avoid or minimize consumption of both if you’re looking to boost your immunity.

Remember adult vaccines

Throughout one's life, vaccination including adult vaccinations provides effective protection against disease. While many of us are familiar with childhood vaccinations, they don’t provide lifelong immunity against every disease. As well, some vaccines are prescribed only for adults.

Adults require helper, or booster shots to maintain immunity for some conditions. And, if you didn’t get all your shots as a child, you could still be at risk of infection from vaccine-preventable diseases.

For example, if you are among the 90 per cent of Canadian adults over 50 years old who’ve had chickenpox –you should consider a vaccine to help prevent shingles. It’s a painful disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise improves your cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure and helps protect against a variety of viruses and diseases. A balanced diet and regular exercise will also help you maintain a healthy body weight, which in turn helps boost your immune system. While exercise is important, allowing your body to rest is equally valuable. Sleep is the tool your body uses to recharge its batteries, including your immune system.