Dogs are the unspoken healers in our world. Beneath their shaggy hair and expressive eyes, they’re soulful creatures that can skillfully adapt to our different needs. For some they offer companionship, to others they act as an essential lifeline. In this episode, two resilient women living with chronic illness explore the joy and purpose dogs brought back into their lives.
Morgan McCarthy and Jennifer Trepanier experienced immense suffering early on in their lives due to chronic illness. Morgan was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, while Jennifer developed debilitating autoimmune diseases.
For Morgan, her service dog Dewey became her reason to get out of bed everyday. With his daily assistance, Morgan gained more independence and now thrives. For Jennifer, dogs connected her to a higher purpose in life. After experiencing her first pile of puppies, she wanted to bring that same joyous experience to others. She founded Pile of Puppies, a non-profit that connects puppies to children living with chronic illness.
Together the two discuss the remarkable abilities dogs have, and the times they’ve witnessed their comfort and healing firsthand. Dogs are the beautiful blessing that taught them that joy and light can always be found, even in hardships.