MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Purina, a leading company in Europe in pet care, strengthens its commitment to the most fragile people by supporting, together with Frida’s Friends, an IAA project ( Assisted Care with Animals), more commonly known as Pet Therapy, within the S. C. Neurologia Pediatrica – Regional Centre for Infantile Epilettology (CREI) of the Milan Fatebenefratelli Hospital. The initiative was born from the meeting with Berenice Merlini, Director Psicologa at the Regional Center of Infantry Epilepsy of the Fabenefratelli Hospital, which after observing the positive effects of the interventions made in the Pediatric House of the hospital proposed to experiment the activity also in its department. After two first pilot days in December, the medical team and Frida’s Friends decided to start the project continuously, thanks to the support of Purina. Since the first activities, particularly encouraging signs have emerged. Among the cases observed, a 17-year-old boy with important cognitive delay, initially described as fearful to dogs, after a few minutes began to interact peacefully with the animal and with the team present. In another case, a four-year-old girl arrived in the hospital to undergo an encephalogram – examination that normally causes fear and anxiety in children – faced the visit without crying or waving, playing with the dog and serenely wearing the helmet necessary for the procedure. Different episodes, but united by a recurring element: the ability of the relationship with the animal to favor a climate of greater serenity and collaboration during moments that can generate fear, anxiety or tension. The context of the department has very specific characteristics: the children followed can in fact present complex neurological paintings, often associated with other conditions such as autistic spectrum disorders or cognitive delays, and live a hospital experience scanned by visits, controls and diagnostic examinations. For this reason, interventions are designed in a highly personalized way. Before each session, the Frida’s Friends team receives indications about the clinical, emotional and relational characteristics of patients, so as to build activities tailored to the needs of each child. The goal is not simply to offer a moment of leisure or distraction, but to foster the construction of an authentic and meaningful relationship between child and animal, mediated by the presence of the coadjutor, a fundamental figure to accompany both the patient and the dog during the intervention. The activities are currently held once a week and involve one to three patients per session on average. In these first months, in addition to the benefits observed in children directly involved, a positive impact also emerged on families and the general climate of the department. In fact, the presence of the dog contributes to reducing anxiety and agitation during visits and examinations, favouring a more peaceful environment for small patients, for those who accompany them and for other patients present in the waiting room. At the same time, the project is becoming an increasingly recognized reference point within the care path, so that some families start planning visits and controls taking into account the presence of meetings with Frida’s Friends. After a first experimental phase launched in December, the project has now firmly entered the activities of the department thanks to the collaboration between the health personnel of the Fabenefratelli Hospital, the team of Frida’s Friends and Purina. A shared path that has allowed to transform some evidence emerged during the pilot days into a continuous initiative to support small patients and their families. “In pediatric neurological paths, the emotional dimension is a fundamental element of the healing experience. The childrenand arrive in our department can be faced with complex situations, delicate diagnostic examinations and clinical paths that generate understandably fear and concern. Interventions such as these help create a more serene and welcoming environment, promoting better visitor management and supporting the daily work of the clinical team. The first experiences have shown us how the presence of animals can facilitate the relationship and help children to face the hospital path with greater tranquility” says Professor Luca Bernardo, Director of the Department of Medicine of Childhood, Evolutionary Age and Gender Medicine of the Fabenefratelli Hospital of Milan. To observe more closely the evolution of the project is also the team of Frida’s Friends, which accompanies children and families daily. “What strikes us most is to see how the project has become part of the life of the department. More and more families set visits and controls taking into account our presence and also healthcare personnel recognize the value of these moments. Children arrive more serene, get involved in the relationship with the dog and often face visits and exams with a tranquility that initially seemed difficult to imagine. The presence of the animal becomes an extraordinary relational facilitator: it helps to create confidence, promotes interaction and allows children to concentrate on the here and now, transforming a potentially difficult moment into a more positive experience”, says Mario Colombo, President of Frida’s Friends. The new project is part of a broader path that Purina has been carrying out for years along with hospitals, associations and professionals in the sector to promote the value of the relationship between people and pet in the contexts of greater fragility. “In Purina we deeply believe in the value of the relationship between people and pet, especially in moments of greater fragility. Supporting this project means helping to make the hospital experience less stressful for children and families, alongside the work of health personnel through the unique value of pet-human bond. See how a dog can help a child to deal with a more serenity a visit or an examination reminds us how this relationship can generate a concrete and positive impact in people’s lives. Together with partners like Frida’s Friends and a reality of excellence such as the Fatebenefratelli we want to continue to promote paths that put to the wellness center, relationship and quality of life”, comments Fabio Degli Esposti, CEO of Purina Italy and Regional Director of Purina South Europe. -photo press office Purina – (ITALPRESS).
