Shelley and Teddi

Teddi’s superpower is literally leaning in to people she meets. She seems to know who needs her, and she needs no direction from me. She will also sometimes roll onto her back, expose her belly, put her paws in the air, and wait for a belly rub. It does not matter where she is, but this display of vulnerability is both comical and touching.

During a visit to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) family room, she met a mom whose son was in ICU. Her daughter had just arrived from New York. We stayed an extra hour because they petted her, cried into her fur, and talked about their hopes and dreams. When we parted ways, the mom said, “you have changed my life with your kindness,” and the daughter said, “you have inspired me to be a more compassionate person.”