Hello Sprout! 🐾🧡 Facility dogs like Sprout are an integral part of the care team for children like Atrium Health Levine Children's patients. How wonderful to see this!
Meet Sprout, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever and full-time facility dog who, in his first year at Atrium Health Levine Children's in Charlotte, has logged over 3,350 encounters with patients and teammates. His work is made possible by a $150,000 grant from Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation's Dogs for Joy program. Like doctors and nurses, Sprout is a core member of a child's treatment team, helping them achieve their clinical goals. A typical day may include assisting rehab patients with their physical therapy exercises, leading programs like "Arts & Barks" with Arts For Life, and visiting patients inside Seacrest Studios. Sprout is the first dog to work directly with cancer patients at Levine Children's Torrey Hemby Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders – a milestone made possible by the Dogs for Joy grant, which helped purchase proper sanitization materials to keep kids in the clinic safe. "This grant has allowed patients to find their safe space with Sprout," said Rachel Ellis, AVP of foundation relations/grants at Atrium Health Foundation. "Before surgeries, kids will ask to spend time with him. He has fostered a kind and inclusive space for so many, which is all due to the generosity of Dunkin'." Read more: bit.ly/3WBUjfj