Finding Light Through Loss: How Pet Therapy Became My Path Forward

A Dual Journey: Cancer Diagnosis and Personal Loss

Sometimes the most unexpected events in life lead us to our true purpose. On October 31, 2023, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer at Houston Methodist West Breast Care Center. The words were surreal, heavy-and life-changing. Just ten days later, on November 10, I underwent a lumpectomy. I was trying to stay strong, focused on healing, leaning on unwavering support from family and friends, encouragement from hospital staff, while preparing to travel and be with my family for Thanksgiving.

Signs of Hope Amidst Grief

Yet just as I was beginning to find my footing, life delivered another heartbreak. In the early hours of November 20, my brother called to tell me that our beloved mother had passed away peacefully at 4:30 a.m. She was 97 years old. In that moment, I felt like the ground beneath me gave way.

It felt impossible to process both at once-facing a cancer diagnosis while losing my mother felt like more than my heart could bear. Later that same morning, Monday, November 20, I received two phone calls that I can only describe as divine reassurance. At 8:30 a.m., I got a call from Rover Oaks-Katy saying there was a sudden opening on the waitlist to board my dog. I began sobbing. I was so happy and relieved. Then at 11:00 a.m., my surgeon called with good news: a specific test result had come back negative. Because of that, I would need radiation only-no chemotherapy. I could breathe again. I could hope again. I truly believe these signs were God’s reassurances telling me: It’s going to be okay. (Lean not on my understanding)

Discovering Faithful Paws: A New Purpose

During preparation for the surgery, I went in for a scheduled MRI at Houston Methodist West. As I exited through the main entrance, something caught my eye-a large sign with two dogs, introducing Faithful Paws Pet Therapy. I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t just a sign. It felt like a sign-for me. And I knew in that moment what I would do next. Once my treatment was complete, I would join Faithful Paws with my dog by my side. It gave me a sense of direction, a purpose rising from pain.

Embracing the Role of a Therapy Team

My dog, Chloe, passed the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test with the help of Rover Oaks-Katy, and we completed five Faithful Paws training sessions on the way to certifying Chloe as a therapy dog. Now we are visiting people in senior-tiered living communities, hospitals, schools, libraries, rehab centers, and hospice-sharing the simple but powerful gift of unconditional love and hope…and especially serving on the pet therapy dog team where it all began at Houston Methodist West hospital.

Walking Forward with Paws Beside Me

Cancer is a journey no one chooses, but it became the path that brought me to a calling I never expected. Through grief, healing, and grace, I found a light unto my path…and I’m walking forward with paws beside me.