Dogs visiting sick children in the hospital is nothing new, but how many of those dogs have been patients themselves?
At Miami Children's Hospital, there's only one. Lance the Super Dog.
Lance is a 7-year-old dachsund who suffered a spinal cord injury that left the back of his body paralyzed. His owner, Caio Stinchi from Coconut Grove, said putting Lance down was not an option.
So he opted for surgery and a customized set of a wheels that allowed Lance to run again.
"We could see Lance was back completely," said Stinchi. "Once he got the wheels, he was the same way we always knew him."
And that's when the Stinchi's decided to turn a negative into a positive, making Lance a volunteer therapy dog at Miami Children's Hospital.
"I think when they see him handicapped, doing so well," Stinchi said, "they can relate and feel good about it."
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19-year-old Frances Alvarez has been in and out of the hospital for a year now, so she's gotten to know Lance thanks to his weekly visits.
"Just to see him here, changes everything," Alvarez said.
Even the little kids love Lance. Just ask Lisa Glass, who's 15-month-old son, Christian, is in the hospital because of his epilepsy.
"These kids are dealing with so much," Glass said after a visit from Lance. "Just seeing a little dog going through that is inspirational."
Lance is such a big star at Miami Children's Hospital, he even has his own comic book. It's called "The Adventures of Super Lance." Stinchi gives copies to the kids so they can read his story, which ends with Lance conquering the world.
"If he can do it, I can do it," said Alvarez, who hopes to get out of the hospital soon. "It doesn't matter if you have limits, or if you're a dog, that's an inspiration."
Lance might be a dog, but he knows he's making a difference. How else do you explain the fact that he never barks until the kids are gone and it's playtime.
"He knows he's on a mission," Stinchi said. "He knows he's not just here for fun."
Miami Children's Hospital is always looking for more volunteer therapy dogs and volunteer humans too. If you'd like to help put smiles on these children's faces, visit www.mch.com and click on "How Can I Help?"
Follow Adam Kuperstein on Twitter at @akuperstein.
