Where big hearts help little patients!
St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children is committed to improving the health and quality of life for children and families with special needs. We are New York's largest and most experienced provider of long-term care to children with medically complex conditions and New York City's only post-acute care facility for children. At St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, we aim to give our kids and their families more than they had dreamed possible. Your gift will play a significant role in helping New York's sickest children and support amazing programs such as our Pet Therapy program.
Pet therapy helps children with special needs reach rehabilitative goals, experience greater well-being, and improve physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Our pet therapy program has been growing for over 10 years, and was further enriched in 2009 when we partnered with the North Shore Animal League America. Currently, we have several therapy dogs that visit St. Mary's Kids and our children, their families and even staff look forward to the sessions. St. Mary's therapist have noted increased vocilizations in children, improved social skills, improved use of non-dominant hands, and overall increased alertness in the children during pet therapy sessions. We are working to expand our program to include non-domestic pet therapy, which would see therapy horses and pigs join the program.
To make a tax deductible donation right now for St. Mary's Kids, please fill out and submit the form below. Thank you for your support!
