Sadness Turns To Joy As Patient Gets Special Visit After Weeks In Hospital

Late last month, when 73-year-old Valdir Zabel was admitted to a hospital in Brazil for pneumonia, it was to be a difficult time in more ways than one.

Not only would Zabel have to undergo more than two weeks of treatment in the ICU, it meant that he’d be without the warm company of his dog, Preta. Zabel had adopted her years earlier after finding her abandoned outside his home.

The weeks spent apart were hard on Preta, too.

“As it was a long time, the two of them missed each other a lot,” Zabel’s daughter, Lisi, told news outlet ND Mais. “My father talked about her all the time, and the dog was also very sad and stopped eating.”

Staff at Gaspar Hospital, where Zabel was undergoing treatment, could tell that he was under emotional distress, as well. To ensure a full recovery, they knew he needed a different kind of “medicine” than what they had to offer.

So, working with Zabel’s family, the hospital arranged for Preta to make a surprise visit — and with that, both their hearts began to heal.

Here’s footage of that emotional reunion:

In an instant, Zabel and Preta’s sadness turned to joy.

Shortly after that special visit, Zabel’s health made a turn for the better. Just four days later he was released from the ICU.

This isn’t the first time a visit from a beloved pet has proven to have healing qualities for their owners in the hospital. That special dose of love only a dog can deliver may truly be among the best of medicines.

By Stephen Messenger