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TheMesaTribune.com |
THE MESA TRIBUNE | JULY 4, 2021
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Therapy dogs return to delight Banner patients BY SYDNEY MACKIE Tribune Staff Writer
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anner Health hospitals across the Valley are reinstating their popular pet therapy program, once again bringing joy and comfort to patients with visits from certi�ied therapy dogs that were benched for more than a year by the pandemic. Among the �irst patients visited was 5-year-old Mesa resident Gordon Hardy, who has been receiving chemotherapy treatments at Banner Children’s at Desert for Ewing sarcoma since November. After months of hopeful anticipation, Gordon and his mother Elisabeth Hardy were greeted by Riley, a 9-year-old rescued dachshund mix. Though his mother knew the dog would be coming, she didn’t tell Gordon “because we wanted him to be surprised.”
“At �irst, he didn’t like the idea of a visitor coming in, he thought it’d be some adult that was boring and not for him so he hid underneath a blanket,” Elisabeth Hardy recounted. “But he heard a little jingle from Riley’s collar and he just �lew out from under that blanket and was so excited.” This was a momentous visit for Gordon, who has been hospitalized intermittently during a time when the pandemic curtailed visits. Riley was one of his �irst non-adult companions that Gordon met during those arduous hospital stays. “It was just him getting to have a friend in the hospital, it’s all been adults, adults, adults,” said Elisabeth. “Gordon often suggests that the one thing to make him feel better is a dog, so this visit is just wonderful.” Riley makes an impression wherever he goes in the hospital. Several
nurses were thrilled to see him and learn that pet therapy has returned after a long time without four-legged friends in the hospitals. “It was just particularly heartwarming with Riley being the �irst dog at Banner Desert,” said Banner spokeswoman Nancy Neff. “It’s another positive sign for people that things are returning to semi-normal.” Not only that, but that day of Riley’s �irst visit was Gordon’s secondto-last chemotherapy appointment. And while Riley and other dogs will be there every Friday from now on for two-hour shifts, the family may not get the chance to see him again. “We’re hopefully going into remission, so hopefully we’re there early enough next Friday to see a dog, but regardless, we’re glad that he got to end with a little bit of happiness,” Gordon Hardy, 5, had been hospitalized since November with Elisabeth Hardy said. bone cancer and as his treatment neared the end, the youngster got a surprise visit from Riley, one of Banner Health’s many ��� THERAPY ���� 20 volunteer pet therapy dogs. (Courtesy Banner Health)
Downtown Mesa museums roll out new exhibits TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
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hree Mesa museums have rolled out new exhibits this month. Visitors can travel back in time to ancient Arizona to walk with dinosaurs and then go behind the scenes to develop a deeper understanding of their past at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. Or they can explore the world of robotics through art and hands-on activities at the i.d.e.a. Museum. And if that’s not enough, they also can stop by the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum and check out Angel Cabrales’ reimagined parallel universe in “The Uncolonized: A Vision in the Parallel” exhibition. “Families throughout the Valley are seeking fun ways to engage and inspire their children this summer, and our museums offer a great, indoor adventure for
Ornstein, director of Arts and Culture for the City of Mesa. “The visually stunning and educational exhibitions at our city museums will provide the community another reason to get out of the house and escape the heat through our cool experiences.” The Arizona MuThe Arizona Museum of Natural History exhibit looks at Arizona 75 seum of Natural million years ago. (Courtesy City of Mesa) History exhibit rechildren of all ages, and a special respite imagines southern Arizona and northern from the sizzling Arizona heat,” said Cindy Sonora 75 million years ago as it teaches
visitors about the giant volcanoes that shaped the state and the dinosaurs that lived in their shadow. Additionally, “Ologies!: The Science of Anthropology and Paleontology” is the museum’s �irst bilingual exhibition. Visitors will learn more about the museum’s anthropology and paleontology research departments to discover the kinds of objects in each collection, how objects become part of the collection, and how objects help scientists study the past. The i.d.e.a. Museum’s Robo Art exhibitions let kids of all ages explore the design, engineering and technology of robots. They can build a 3-D bot, play coding games and learn about a variety of robots, the history of robotics and more. Several hands-on activities and ex-
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