MINT HILL, N.C. — Kismet, an English Springer Spaniel, and her owner Stacey Yeoman have been bringing joy to patients and staff at Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center for the past two months as a therapy dog team.
The duo visits the medical center once a week, where Kismet spreads happiness by interacting with patients, hospital staff, and people in the waiting rooms. Yeoman was inspired to train Kismet as a therapy dog after witnessing the positive impact of a similar dog during visits to her mother’s assisted living facility.
“She’s two so we just started about two months ago,” said Stacey Yeoman, a volunteer at Novant Health.
“We so look forward to it. It breaks up our day. And really...I mean, just relaxes us. It’s just a great... It’s just, yeah, it’s a great. We really look forward to it,” said Nikki Harkleroad, a physical therapist at the center.
“That dog cheered me up, made me feel good, you know, it made my day to be honest with you,” said patient John Baker.
“If I can do a little of that, you know, for the time that I’m here, if she can do a little bit of that, then my day’s been made,” Yeoman explained. “I think there are studies that say it actually brings your blood pressure down.”
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Yeoman’s inspiration came from a man she saw with a small dog visiting residents at an assisted living facility.
“I just thought, you know, I have the time to volunteer... we always had dogs growing up, and I thought, frankly, it was a way for me to pay it forward,” she said.
Kismet’s visits have become a highlight for many at the medical center, providing a unique form of therapy that lifts spirits and brings comfort to those in need.
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