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Calming Cuddles with Harry the Therapy Cat

Calming Cuddles with Harry the Therapy Cat

by | Jul 20, 2023 | General News

Story featured on WFAA.
Society is often divided into two groups: dog people and cat people.

Sometimes, people fall into both categories.

But it can take a lot to win someone over from the other side.

Sarah Dutton has seen it happen time after time.

Every couple of weeks, she straps a clear, hardshell backpack with mesh sides and several air vents into Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas.

Once inside, the precious cargo is removed, leashed, and together, they begin delivery of a dose of medicine that is as effective as it is cute and cuddly.

“You can do anything with Harry,” Dutton said. “ You can touch his ears, you can touch his tail, you can touch his paws, even his whiskers.”

Harry is her cat.
She and her husband found him run over in the middle of a Denton County road.

They nursed him back to health, and now he’s a therapy cat.
During his twice monthly visits, Harry might sit in the lap of a child in a wheelchair or curl up in a bed beside a patient at Scottish Rite.

Sometimes nurses or parents hold him.

Often, they gush over him.

“He’s the calmest cat I’ve ever seen,” laughed Sam Bryant, a certified pediatric nurse, as she held him.

Scottish Rite is world-renowned for treating complex orthopedic conditions, especially limb differences.

And that’s one reason Harry connects so well with this hospital’s patients.

When Dutton’s husband found Harry, more than one veterinarian clinic said he probably needed to be euthanized.

But the couple wasn’t convinced.

He ended up losing a leg and shoulder to amputation. But Harry fully recovered. And as he healed, Dutton saw the potential for him to help heal others.

“The fact that he had three legs. I felt like he could touch some people — show that you can get hurt and be disabled and be totally fine and live a normal life,” Dutton said.

She and Harry trained through Pet Partners, completing hours of training online and in person.

Harry’s twice a month visits to Scottish Rite are now highly anticipated by patients and staff.

“I have a cat at home and sometimes I go home to my cat and I’m like, why can’t you be like Harry?” Bryant said. “He just stares at you with his big old eyes, and kids just love that. Even kids who aren’t cat people. He really kind of changes people’s perspectives on cats.”

Kaliyah Brownlee got nervous the moment Harry was within view.

“So, this is my biggest fear,” the 9-year-old said under her breath, as she was getting an infusion for Lupus treatment at Scottish Rite’s rheumatology clinic.

Brownlee’s mother, Montranece Randall, said her daughter would normally take off running when she saw a cat.

“She runs. We both run!” Randall said.

In the clinic next to Brownlee was 8-year-old Virginia Chappelle.

While Chappelle got her infusion, she was petting Harry.

“He’s so cute,” Chappelle said. “I love his little nose.”

And as Brownlee watched Harry work his magic on Chappelle, she gained courage.

She wanted Dutton to bring him closer. Touching Harry soon turned into petting him. Then petting him turned into holding him.

“I thought I was going to be scared, but I’m not scared of cats anymore!” she said. 

“I think we should get one,” she told her mom – who also pet Harry.

Harry might not be the kind of medicine doctors prescribe, but the special connection he makes with patients is its own kind of cure.

I feel like he understands a lot of people’s emotions and what they need,” said Dutton.

Read the entire article.

WFAA: You’ve heard all about therapy dogs. This therapy cat is raising spirits at a Dallas pediatric hospital

WFAA: You’ve heard all about therapy dogs. This therapy cat is raising spirits at a Dallas pediatric hospital

by | Jul 20, 2023 | Press Coverage, Spotlight

Society is often divided into two groups:  dog people and cat people.
 
Sometimes, people fall into both categories.
 
But it can take a lot to win someone over from the other side.
 
Sarah Dutton has seen it happen time after time.
 
Every couple of weeks, she straps a clear, hardshell backpack with mesh sides and several air vents into Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas.
 
Once inside, the precious cargo is removed, leashed, and together, they begin delivery of a dose of medicine that is as effective as it is cute and cuddly.
 
“You can do anything with Harry,” Dutton said. “ You can touch his ears, you can touch his tail, you can touch his paws, even his whiskers.”
 
Harry is her cat.
She and her husband found him run over in the middle of a Denton County road.
 
They nursed him back to health, and now he’s a therapy cat.
During his twice monthly visits, Harry might sit in the lap of a child in a wheelchair or curl up in a bed beside a patient at Scottish Rite.
 
Sometimes nurses or parents hold him.
 
Often, they gush over him.
 
“He’s the calmest cat I’ve ever seen,” laughed Sam Bryant, a certified pediatric nurse, as she held him.
 
Scottish Rite is world-renowned for treating complex orthopedic conditions, especially limb differences.
 
And that’s one reason Harry connects so well with this hospital’s patients.
 
When Dutton’s husband found Harry, more than one veterinarian clinic said he probably needed to be euthanized.
 
But the couple wasn’t convinced.
He ended up losing a leg and shoulder to amputation. But Harry fully recovered. And as he healed, Dutton saw the potential for him to help heal others.
 
“The fact that he had three legs. I felt like he could touch some people — show that you can get hurt and be disabled and be totally fine and live a normal life,” Dutton said.
 
She and Harry trained through Pet Partners, completing hours of training online and in person.
 
Harry’s twice a month visits to Scottish Rite are now highly anticipated by patients and staff.
 
“I have a cat at home and sometimes I go home to my cat and I’m like, why can’t you be like Harry?” Bryant said. “He just stares at you with his big old eyes, and kids just love that. Even kids who aren’t cat people. He really kind of changes people’s perspectives on cats.”
 
Kaliyah Brownlee got nervous the moment Harry was within view.
 
“So, this is my biggest fear,” the 9-year-old said under her breath, as she was getting an infusion for Lupus treatment at Scottish Rite’s rheumatology clinic.

A black and white cat wearing a harness and leash

Brownlee’s mother, Montranece Randall, said her daughter would normally take off running when she saw a cat.
 
“She runs. We both run!” Randall said.
 
In the clinic next to Brownlee was 8-year-old Virginia Chappelle.
 
While Chappelle got her infusion, she was petting Harry.
 
“He’s so cute,” Chappelle said. “I love his little nose.”
 
And as Brownlee watched Harry work his magic on Chappelle, she gained courage.
 
She wanted Dutton to bring him closer. Touching Harry soon turned into petting him. Then petting him turned into holding him.
 
“I thought I was going to be scared, but I’m not scared of cats anymore!” she said. 
 
“I think we should get one,” she told her mom – who also pet Harry.
 
Harry might not be the kind of medicine doctors prescribe, but the special connection he makes with patients is its own kind of cure.
 
I feel like he understands a lot of people’s emotions and what they need,” said Dutton.

Read the entire article.

Hometown Heroes: The Wish List

Hometown Heroes: The Wish List

by | Nov 12, 2019 | Events, Press Coverage

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children puts on two shopping bazaars each year: the four-day Hearts and Holiday Bazaar in early November and the three-day Summer Bazaar in June. Both events bring in about $40,000 and support The Wish List at the hospital.

Clarice Tinsley of FOX 4 recently featured the volunteers that make this happen in her “Hometown Heroes” segment.

Watch the full story here.

Hometown Hero: The Sewing Ladies

Hometown Hero: The Sewing Ladies

by | May 7, 2019 | General News, Press Coverage

A specific group of volunteers at Scottish Rite Hospital, who call themselves The Sewing Ladies, have been a staple at the hospital since its earliest years. Originally, the group consisted mostly of wives of the hospital’s doctors. Now, the volunteers come from all different backgrounds but have one thing in common – they love to sew.

Between them, The Sewing Ladies have more than 800 years of sewing experience, and they put that experience to good use. Last year, the group of volunteers created more than 400 bed sheets and more than 500 hospital gowns for the hospital’s young patients.

Clarice Tinsley of FOX 4 recently featured the group in her “Hometown Heroes” segment.

Watch the full story here.

Share Your Story: Why I Volunteer

Share Your Story: Why I Volunteer

by | Feb 5, 2019 | Spotlight

Meet Luann and Andrew, a mom who is a hospital volunteer and a patient who was treated in our Neurology department. Learn more about their journey below.Blog written by Luann, of Dallas. Our son, Andrew, was always very active and loved playing soccer and basketball. He was usually the fastest runner on the soccer field and could shoot three-point shots from half court. When he turned 10, I noticed he couldn’t run like he used to, and as hard as he tried, he just couldn’t keep up with his teammates.

I took him to his pediatrician and she could not find anything physically wrong. His left foot started
to turn in so we thought maybe he just needed ankle braces, so we gave that a try. That didn’t help, so we began a seven-year search for answers. We saw 13 different doctors – from podiatrists, to an orthopedic specialist and even a neurologist, but we were still left without answers. In the meantime, Andrew was growing and his ability to walk was becoming more and more difficult. He had pretty much given up the idea of ever playing sports again.  Attending high school was even a struggle for him. In the morning, he was strong and could walk, but by the end of the school day he was physically spent. I would pick him up from school and take him home, where he would have dinner and then literally crawl to his bedroom to go to bed, only to face the same struggle the next day. It would just break my heart to see him not being able to attend football games or go to movies with his friends. He had pretty much given up the idea of attending homecoming or walking across the stage at his high school graduation.

After seven years, 13 doctors, countless doctor visits, MRI’s, CT Scans, X-rays, braces, and exercises, we were referred to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. We initially met with Dr. Sucato in August of Andrew’s senior year of high school. Dr. Sucato thought it would be best if we saw Dr. Delgado, a neurologist at the hospital. I thought this would be a waste of time since we had already seen two other neurologists, but I reluctantly agreed.

We saw Dr. Delgado that October and that is when our miracle began.

I remember sitting in the exam room with a stack of X-rays, MRI reports, CT scans and other medical records. In walked Dr. Delgado and through my tears I began to tell him all of Andrew’s physical challenges for the past several years. I will never forget that day – he looked at us and said we were going to find out what was going on! He was the first doctor who had told us that. He closely studied Andrew walking, which was so hard for me to watch. Andrew underwent a few different tests and on January 29, 2010 was admitted to the hospital for a spinal tap. 

A young boy in a hospital bed with a red bandage on his hand

A week later, we received the call that changed our lives.

My husband Earl, Andrew and I went back to the clinic and nervously waited in the exam room, praying for an answer. I had prepared myself for the worst. Dr. Delgado walks in and said he knows what is going on with Andrew – I could hardly believe we were hearing those words! Andrew has Dopa-Responsive Dystonia, a rare neurological disorder that is easily treated. His brain doesn’t produce enough of the chemical dopamine, so he takes a medicine that is often used to treat Parkinson patients.   We were beyond excited for a diagnosis, but I was not going to get my hopes up until I saw positive results!  Andrew took his first pill that Friday and within 24 hours he was able to walk, stand and run like he had been able to eight years ago. He went to school that next Monday and his baseball coach called me to find out what had happened – no one could believe the miraculous change in Andrew!

A man wearing a shirt that says hunger is hugging a woman

Andrew was able to play in the last baseball game of his senior year and the The Dallas Morning News was there to capture it all.  Andrew’s friends and family filled the stands, cheering him on. He got up to bat, got a hit and was able to run the bases – something we all thought we would never be able to see him do again. I cheered and cried at the same time! He was then able to attend the high school homecoming dance, his classmates voted him “Raider of the Year” and he proudly walked across the stage at his graduation. 

I still tear up thinking of this journey and how Dr. Delgado and Scottish Rite Hospital gave my son his life back.  Andrew went on to graduate from the University of North Texas and has moved to Los Angeles, California, where he is truly enjoying life. My heart is so proud and full to see him have the confidence to go out on his own. For so many years, he felt he had to hide in the background due to his physical limitations.  He didn’t want anyone to see him and was laughed at for his physical shortcomings. 

He is an amazing young man. When he went to bed at night, he knew he would have to wake up and face the same challenges again that next day. He never complained, was always smiling and was a true testimony to everyone he ran into. I am one proud mom!

Because of everything Dr. Delgado did for my son, I decided I wanted to give back to the hospital. On February 22, 2011, I began volunteering at the hospital. I volunteer Tuesday evenings, at special events and I serve on the Volunteer Executive Committee. My biggest honor is to volunteer in Dr. Delgado’s Neurology Clinic. I love being able to greet his patients, assure them that they are in an amazing place and are seeing the best doctor in the world.

A basketball player is jumping in the air to dunk the ball

It is my absolute pleasure to brag on Scottish Rite Hospital and to share Andrew’s Story and give other families hope.

When Andrew is home for a visit, he always tries to stop by the hospital and visit with Dr. Delgado and his staff – I love seeing the big grins on each of their faces! Thank you to Dr. Delgado and his amazing team, who we now consider family, for giving my son his life back.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? WE WANT TO HEAR IT! SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US.