One of Manchester’s most beloved therapy dogs is ready to kick back and enjoy retirement as he finishes his final shift at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Alfie has worked as a volunteer for the nationwide charity Pets as Therapy (PAT) for nearly nine years and is one of many animals who are trained to provide comfort and friendly support to children and adults in stressful situations, including hospital stays.
Abigail Frechou was supported by Alfie during a stay in hospital. In June 2019, at just nine-years-old, she was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in her right pelvis and had a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy at both Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and The Christie Hospital. During this difficult time, Alfie provided emotional support to her and brightened her days.
Now 14, Abigail and her mother returned to the hospital to wish Alfie the best and give him a well-earned retirement present. Abigail’s mum, Ellie, said: “It was so lovely to come back on site under better circumstances and see Alfie again. We wanted to say goodbye today because we have so many memories with him, and he played a huge part in helping Abigail while she was in hospital. We have dogs ourselves, so Alfie’s visits gave Abigail a little piece of home”.
For over seven years, Alfie has worked at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) alongside his owner Suzy Emsden, a paediatric intensive care transport consultant. She said: “The great thing about Alfie is that he doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t expect anything from you. We’ve got children who are non-verbal and children who don’t speak English as a first language, but everyone can understand the love of a dog”.
