Kind-hearted nurse helps reunite patient with beloved dog

• When Jennifer learned that her patient’s beloved dog was taken to the pound while he was hospitalized, she promised to reunite them.
• She looked up nearby shelters and immediately got adoption papers when she found him.
• The smile she received when they were reunited was all the reward she needed.

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When registered nurse Jennifer Smith checked into work early Monday after Thanksgiving, she received a distraught call. One of her favorite patients, John Burley, desperately told her that his beloved dog, Boomer, was taken to the pound.

Jennifer recounted, “He took a breath and asked me, ‘Will you take care of Boomer?’ And I said, ‘Of course, John. I will find Boomer and take care of him for you.’”

John, 60, was part of the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing Center‘s adult day health care program. The setup allows him to still live in his apartment with his 12-year-old dog Boomer while receiving regular medical care at the facility based in Rome, New York.

But when he was hospitalized for pneumonia and lung problems, there was no one to care for Boomer. Most of his relatives live in Arkansas.

Jennifer knows just how special Boomer is to John, who always showed off his adorable pictures. “I told John I have a 13-year-old dog myself who I’ve had since a puppy, so I fully understand the panic,” she said. “It made my heart sad for him and Boomer.”

Jennifer was anxious that Boomer may have been already adopted by another family. So she quickly looked up nearby animal shelters, found the Rome Humane Society, and drove there the next day. She then immediately asked for the adoption papers.

The nurse quickly gave John an update to let him know that Boomer has been found and will return to him soon. She got to take Boomer home, where he befriended her dog.

John is still staying at the center’s rehabilitation wing, but he sees Boomer every day since nurse Jennifer brings him to work.

She shared that Boomer’s presence helps ease John’s worries, which helps with the recovery process.

Boomer is also well-loved by everyone in the center! John loves showing him off when he rides on his lap in the wheelchair.

Jennifer said that she knows she’s not a miracle worker who can cure diseases, but if she can take worries away from her patients, she will gladly do so.

“I made a promise… I will take care of [Boomer] as long as he needs me to,” she said. “Right now the focus is on John getting better and taking it one day at a time.”

John struggles a bit with speech, but he made sure to express his gratitude by saying, “I love Jennifer.”

Jennifer said, “John seeing Boomer, that’s the only Christmas present I need right now.”

Source: CNN