Temple — Going to the hospital can be scary especially for children, but medical staff in Temple have a new popular tool to make the visit a little more enjoyable for everyone.
Lorenzo the dog is a new edition to Mclane Children's Hospital and helps comfort kids who have to be there for days at a time, kids like five year old Christopher Bybel who's been battling severe stomach pain.
"Well by petting him it makes me feel better. He feels comfortable and stuff," says Bybel.
Lorenzo is the first of his kind in the medical centers Child Life Program but he's already blended into the Scott and White family perfectly.
"Before it was a little difficult, kids didn't want to talk to a Child Life Specialist. Now when I walk in with him they're completely engaged, they're thrilled that I'm there and it just makes that whole connection with patients a lot easier," said Ashley Blackmon, Child Life Specialist/ Lorenzo's handler.
The staff even threw a huge birthday bash for the pup when he turned three in November.
"There was a photobooth and we played bingo and had party favors. He makes such a difference I think he's changing the culture of our hospital in a way because he is our dog," said Leah Woodward, Child Life Specialist/ Lorenzo's handler.
For families like Christopher's it makes all the difference.
"It was unusual for him to be in that much pain and he just didn't know what was going on. While Lorenzo was here Christopher was calm and relaxed and he was having a great time petting him. It really just kind of took his mind off of everything that was going on," said Christopher's mother Kate Bybel.
It's a bond that makes getting through the holidays and everyday just a little bit easier, one pet at a time.
For more information about Mclane Children's Hospital go here