JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Amanda Nichols’ room at UF Health North is decorated for Christmas.
The hospital is where she said she’ll be spending her holiday season.
She told Action News Jax, “I thought maybe I’d get to go home for Christmas, but they did a test yesterday and I have to be here for another six to eight weeks.”
According to Nichols, she’s already been in the hospital for 12 weeks battling a spinal infection.
Friday, she said she has at least another six weeks there for treatment.
“I was crying so bad on the phone that my mom couldn’t understand me when I called her and told her,” she said.
Nichols said there’s one thing that cheers her up when she’s stuck in bed: the hospital’s therapy dog, Bella.
“I was just sitting here, like, crying and crying, and then in comes Bella and it just totally put a smile on my face,” explained Nichols.
Two years ago, Bella became the first therapy dog at UF Health North.
Her owner, Scott McClain, said he understands it’s tough to be bed ridden.
He helped care for his mother.
McClain and his wife, Mary, said patients’ smiles make the work worth it.
He said, “It has been proven that therapy animals reduce blood pressure by 10 to 15 percent and your heart rate.”
The couple added, “You just walk into a room and they look sad and depressed, and then they see Bella and they just light up.”
Nichols said it has made her tough time more bearable and helped tremendously.
A spokesperson at UF Health said two dogs are training for the program at the north campus.
He said their ultimate goal is to have 12 dogs in the program.