Thank you: Milton the therapy dog

I was an inpatient at NHC Rehabilitation Center in Bluffton for three months, where I received excellent care and therapy seven days a week. Since my discharge, I have returned as an outpatient.

While at NHC, I made a very special friend who “volunteers” every Monday through Friday throughout the year. He has become the unofficial greater of the Physical/Occupational Therapy Gym.

As soon as he hears or sees a patient entering the gym, he approaches immediately with a joyful greeting. He seems to have a sense of which patient needs him the most and will stay at his or her side during therapy.

He is patient, kind, a good listener, and never fails to offer much-needed comfort to patients and staff alike.

His name is Milton and you can’t help but smile when you meet this special dog. Through the years, he has touched the hearts of thousands of patients and I have no doubt that their spirits are lifted when they think of him.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Thank you: Milton the therapy dog."