THE POWER OF PET THERAPY
James Hoyle knew he wanted to be an artist since he was 6 years old . Growing up in Nashville , Tenn ., James was immediately taken by the beauty of landscapes . In the late 1970s , he came to Hanapepe , Kaua ‘ i , where the island ’ s lush sceneries provided a rich template for inspiration .
However , his work came to an abrupt halt on October 25 , 2015 when he was rushed to Wilcox Medical Center for emergency surgery .
“ I called 911 , the team rushed me to Wilcox and the staff performed a surgery that saved my life ,” James said .
James spent two months in the hospital recovering from the operation . His social worker at Wilcox , Trish Bratton , said when she first met James , “ He wasn ’ t eating or taking his medication and was mostly unresponsive .” He did mention that he missed his dog . The staff decided to introduce James to Wilcox ’ s therapy dog , a labradoodle named Rudy .
Rudy proved to be a great companion and he visited James multiple times , including Christmas Day . Slowly James became more responsive .
“ James was the first patient that Rudy saw and Rudy ‘ s presence had a lot to do with his recovery ,” Trish said . “ His visits eventually became an incentive for James to want to get healthy and take his medication .”
Rudy did so well that he became the first Chief Canine Officer for Wilcox . Animals have long been recognized for their ability to help people cope with emotional issues related to illness . They also provide companionship when people might just need it the most .
James was so grateful for the care provided that he gave a gift to Wilcox to show his appreciation .
“ Everyone was fantastic and because of the care at Wilcox , I ’ m back to work ,” James said .
WILCOX EMERGENCY ROOM FUND
This fund was established in 2002 . Donations help purchase and maintain the state-of-the-art equipment and supplies needed to serve emergency room patients at Wilcox every day .
“Everyone was fantastic and because of the care at Wilcox , I ’ m back to work .”
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