Cancer dog helps patients

5 September 2001

Dog who gives comfort to cancer patients in Leeds hospital has been diagnosed with the disease herself

A Golden Retriever called Holly, who has been helping to cheer up patients ata Leeds cancer centre, has herself been diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph glands.

Holly’s owner, Dorothy Lambeth, is manager of the Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at St James Hospital.

Although Holly is not part of any official scheme, Dorothy decided to take her four-year-old pet to work because of the comforting effect pets are known to have on patients with serious illnesses.

“At the moment Holly is in remission, which we expect to last for around six months. She was unable to take the more aggressive chemotherapy which would have given her longer,” says Dorothy. .

“She’s fine at the moment and will be going back to the centre to see the patients.”

Patients who go to the drop-in centre were sad to hear of Holly’s condition, but Dorothy says they have been very supportive.

“I think I’m going to have to put up a bulletin board about her progress as we’re getting so many enquiries about her,” she said.

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