Blythedale Applauds Therapy Dog’s Success with a Red-Carpet Event

Feb. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Patients at Blythedale Children’s Hospital celebrated one of their favorite volunteers, Winston, a therapy dog, with a red-carpet event on January 27 in the adjoining Mt. Pleasant Blythedale School.

Winston, a certified therapy dog, stars in the Disney Channel original movie “Frenemies.” During the event, Blythedale students enjoyed clips from the film and received paw autographs.

A Jack Russell-Tibetan terrier mix, Winston has been a Blythedale volunteer for more than five years. He helps patients practice their therapy skills by issuing commands and helping him perform tricks, such as jumping through hoops.  

“Winston is a perennial favorite among the children at Blythedale,” said Lena Cavanna, Blythedale’s Director of Community Relations. “He enriches their lives and we are thrilled to celebrate his success.”

About Blythedale Children’s Hospital
As New York’s only freestanding, specialty children’s hospital, Blythedale Children’s Hospital is dedicated to improving the health status and quality of life of children with complex medical illnesses and disabling conditions through superb multi-disciplinary patient care, teaching, research, and advocacy programs.  Blythedale’s board-certified physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff (social workers, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists, Child Life specialists, etc.) and New York State’s largest hospital-based pediatric therapy department (PT, OT and Speech) work together to provide intensive and innovative multi-disciplinary clinical and therapeutic care to help children achieve their medical and rehabilitative goals for independent living, and return to their communities.  Blythedale is also the only Hospital in New York State with its own, on-site public school district, the Mt. Pleasant Blythedale Union Free School District. For more information about Blythedale Children’s Hospital, visit http://www.blythedale.org.

# # #

Photo Caption:
Winston and his owner/trainer Theresa Carroll were decked out on January 27, 2012 for a red-carpet event at the Mt. Pleasant Blythedale School to celebrate Winston’s star turn in the Disney Channel original movie, “Frenemies.” Winston is a certified therapy dog and has been a popular volunteer among patients at Blythedale Children’s Hospital for more than five years.