‘Lean On Me’: The Beautiful Story Of Bella And George
Bella is ten years old and suffers from Morquio’s disease. If she manages to walk today, it will be thanks to the support she received from her Great Dane. This amazing dog has been trained since he was just a puppy to be the legs, heart and true confidant of children with degenerative diseases.
Her parents say there was an almost immediate bond between Bella and her dog George. Their souls instantly merged to form the best team in the world. Their partnership allows the child to return to school normally and find the strength to continue with the surgeries and medical exams.
In recent years, dogs have become the best therapists for children and adults with medical problems. They are great assistants with admirable loyalty and great intelligence, and they can help people overcome personal obstacles.
George, a Great Dane just over a year and a half old, is part of the “Service Dog Project” program, which provides assistance to people with disabilities. Today we want to share with you another example of the benefits of such animal therapies.
Bella and George: discovering the world without crutches
Bella suffers from a rare disease. Morquio’s syndrome causes abnormal bone development, especially in the spine. By the time she was just ten years old, this girl from Massachusetts was already reliant on crutches and wheelchairs.
To halt the steady progress of the disease, Bella has already undergone nine surgeries. In addition, she had to be hospitalized every week to receive replacement therapy that would allow her body to break down the long chains of sugar molecules and improve her quality of life.
Well, being in a wheelchair and spending more time in the hospital than in school made her give up the fight. Her strength ran out and it was then that the ‘Service Dog Project’ came into the picture. This is a humanitarian project in which Great Danes are trained to help people with severe mobility problems.
What the animal did with his noble gaze was simply magical. George smiled back at Bella and pulled her away from her crutches and wheelchair. Since then, the girl has been going to school relying on her dog and every time she has to go to the hospital, George goes to bed with her. They are inseparable.
The benefits of dog therapy
Humanitarian initiatives such as the ‘Service Dog Project’ should actually take place much more frequently and around the world. Although dogs are widely used as therapeutic agents for children with physical or mental disabilities, there are several areas of concern where dogs prove to be incredibly helpful.
Alzheimer’s Service Dogs
Patients with degenerative neurological diseases can also benefit enormously from living with dogs. They help them to limit the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Contact with dogs arouses emotions in Alzheimer’s patients and makes them receptive to reality.
According to a study conducted at the University of Nebraska, the introduction of service dogs provides Alzheimer’s patients with a mainstay of memory. The dogs improve their attention span and make them more communicative.
Assistance dogs for children with autism
Interestingly, efforts to develop therapies with assistance dogs for children with autism are proving very successful. Dog therapy puts a new spin on traditional strategies used in children with autism. With dogs, they can facilitate the learning of new behaviors. The animals are trained not only to positively reinforce the children, but also to guide them in ‘modelling’ certain activities.
Dogs are great at arousing positive emotions that make the child with autism more receptive and motivated.
Finally, we are confident that dog therapy (and other animal therapies) will help us improve the quality of life for many people in the years to come. The nobility of these animals and that “sixth sense” in providing assistance and building an emotional connection with the person is certainly something we could all learn from.
The story of Bella and George is just one small example of how an animal is able to be the best therapist for a child who now sees the future with new eyes and has support from which to draw strength and hope.
