All it took for 10-year-old Niah Carver to feel safe was one visit with a black Labrador/golden retriever mix named Squid.
Born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect, Niah has undergone multiple open-heart surgeries and cardiovascular procedures.
Anxiety surrounding her health can be overwhelming.
Squid, 7, is a part of the Canine Clinicians Facility Dog Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. He provides support, comfort, motivation and care to patients and families.
The impact of his initial visit in 2023 with Niah was life-changing.
“During a heart test that triggered high anxiety, the presence of facility dog Squid offered a powerful source of comfort,” said Leslie Grissim, MA, CCLS, facility dog program coordinator and Squid’s handler. “Niah was able to focus her attention on Squid, using his calm demeanor as a grounding tool. By choosing how and when to engage with him, she developed a personalized coping strategy that supported emotional regulation and made the procedure more manageable.”
During that visit, Niah received a stuffed animal replica of Squid, also called a plushie, which she turned into her own therapy tool.
For two years, she carried her plushie, also named Squid, as a coping mechanism in overwhelming situations.
There was one issue: Niah needed reassurance at school, but stuffed animals/toys were not allowed. Niah created a presentation highlighting the importance of her Squid plushie for her school.
“By assigning plushie Squid a uniform, a role and a therapeutic purpose, Niah didn’t just receive comfort, she created it,” said Grissim. “Plushie Squid became a transitional object, bridging the support she received in the hospital with the independence she’s building at school. Her story reminds us that coping tools don’t have to be prescribed, they can be imagined, chosen and empowered by the child themselves. It’s a powerful example of resilience, creativity, and self-directed healing.”
Recently, Grissim and Squid visited Niah’s fourth grade class at The Academy for GOD in Old Hickory, to help her peers understand the role the canine played in her life.
“I truly needed a good cry afterwards,” said Niah’s mom, Chelsea Carver, after the visit. “Watching my child have a moment where she is sharing her story, a hard story … She was sharing from a position of strength. She was able to explain her struggles and share the source of that resilience and how Squid helped her through the hard things.”
Carver said that they request Squid during procedures to help with her daughter’s anxiety. And during heightened times away from the hospital, plushie Squid is a reminder to use her coping techniques.
“In a situation where you feel helpless in comforting your child because the whole situation is overwhelming and no amount of preparation seems to take the edge off, but there is a facility dog that makes all the difference in providing comfort in an otherwise scary environment — that is impactful.”
Canine Clinicians are expertly trained facility dogs who work alongside on-staff professionals (handlers) with experience in understanding people’s mental and emotional health. Canine Clinicians help children navigate the toughest medical challenges, making hospital stays a little less stressful and a lot more comforting.
Squid, the first member, was joined by a second team member, Velour, this year. Both are a part of the Patient-and Family-Centered Care team and were trained and provided free of charge by Canine Companions.
Canine Clinicians is Monroe Carell’s Facility Dog Program that was established through collaboration with Mars Petcare through its BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program to support a full-time facility dog and a staff position for coordination of the program.
