THERAPY DOG LOKI DELIVERS CARE PACKAGES TO HEALTH WORKERS BATTLING CORONAVIRUS

A Maryland therapy dog is giving back to medical professionals on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus by delivering care packages and smiles to her local medical center.

Appearing on “Fox & Friends Weekend” with host Jillian Mele, University of Maryland Medical student Caroline Benzel explained that Loki had started providing care long before the outbreak.

“So, Loki is a two-and-a-half-year-old Rottweiler. She was given to me the same week I was accepted to medical school. And so, we thought it would be a good idea to make her a therapy dog for the hospital there,” she stated. “And, as you can see, it’s kind of taken off.”

Benzel told Fox 17 that prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, she and Loki would spend three days a week visiting patients and lifting spirits at the hospital.

However, once a moratorium was put on all animal therapy visits, they decided to “take it to the next level.”

She says it was after that, the duo began Face Timing with the patients and healthcare workers to provide virtual support. Benzel soon noticed the strain nurses were going through having to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) around the clock.

“Everyone was wearing PPE 24/7 and because of that, they were getting rashes and irritation from wearing masks,” she told Fox 17.

And so, the idea of “hero healing kits” was born.

In the kits, which the medical student compiled through donations via an Amazon Wishlist, Benzel and Loki provide healthcare workers with things like healing lotion and moisturizer, Gold Bond powder, chewing gum, chapstick, and tea.

“What has the reaction been?” asked Mele.

“It’s been nothing but positivity and support,” Benzel replied. “I think that there [have] been a lot of people who just kind of need other people in the background to show them that they are being supported up on the front lines. Whether it be first responders, nurses, custodians… And, we have been trying to do that for people.”

As of Saturday morning, around 3,000 kits have been donated — and the effort is no longer just in Maryland.

Loki’s followers in Philadelphia, New Jersey and North Carolina were inspired by her actions and have been making care packages to show their appreciation to all hospital staff as well.

Anyone who wants to donate to Loki and Benzel’s campaign can order products from their Wishlist or message them to donate funds for products via Venmo.

“It’s been really hard being a full-time medical student and not being able to be there because we have pulled back and now everything is through Zoom,” she concluded. “So, this is the best that I can do to try to make things better for all of my co-workers out there on the front lines, you know, making a difference for people.”