We Rescued Each Other Patti and Ilsa's Story

After my father passed away in 2009, my mother, Patti, was left with debilitating grief.

- Karen Thomas

They were married for sixty years, raised five children together and were an inseparable pair. Taking on the role of my father’s hospice nurse at the end of his life, I assisted him to physically and spiritually transition peacefully and pain-free. But how could I help my mother? I utilized all the tools of my trade including frequent energy therapy treatments (Healing Touch), spending quality time with her and spiritual counseling.

As the months passed by, I saw some progress but the void was still deep. It was something I simply couldn't fill. So I started to pray for divine intervention. Not long after I released my request for help to the universe I came across Heeling Allies* on the Internet while researching grief therapy.

Heeling Allies is a Seattle-based non-profit organization that specializes in matching individuals who struggle with a range of psychological challenges with ‘Mental Health Dogs’ that give them courage, confidence and support. This was exactly what we needed! My prayers had been answered.

An amazing woman who works professionally with dogs and holds a degree in human psychology, Darcie Boltz, founded Heeling Allies Assistance Dogs in 2008. Darcie is passionate about the intricacies of the human/dog bond, the welfare of assistance dogs and working with people with various disabilities, and the dogs that help them. Being an animal advocate and Healing Touch for Animals Practitioner I immediately resonated with this program. When I suggested this concept to my mother, I saw her eyes light up for the first time in months.