- Mary is mostly afraid of new encounters, but her anxiety is eased by Mr. Weenie, their family dog.
- Mary is especially afraid of going to the doctor, and a visit almost always ends up near impossible to do.
- But her fear completely disappeared when she was allowed to bring Mr. Weenie along.
Meet Mary and Mr. Weenie. The little dog joined Mary’s family only a few months ago, but the two already have an extra special bond. Mary, who has autism, is especially afraid of new encounters. But her fear melts away whenever she has Mr. Weenie with her.
The pair’s mom, Fernweh Cooley, shared that Mary holds Mr. Weenie close whenever she’s afraid. The sweet dog will then nuzzle her cheek with his nose, and it “calms her through everything.”
“It brings her attention to him instead of the situation that’s causing anxiety,” she added.
Mary has had one great fear over the years: going to the doctor.
Fernweh said that it was almost always impossible to get her to go inside the doctor’s office. Mary would usually scream, run out, and hide. When they do succeed to get her inside, she would sit silently and anxiously without making any eye contact.
Fernweh didn’t like that stressful situation to continue. So she asked the doctor’s office if they could bring Mr. Weenie along, and they agreed.
It worked like magic!
Fernweh shared, “With Mr. Weenie, she interacted with staff, let them know what was bothering her, talked to them, and actually SMILED. All of her nerves and anxiety had melted away.”
Mr. Weenie made Mary feel safe while at the doctor’s office. His mere presence assured her that everything was fine, and her experience completely changed.
Thanks to Mr. Weenie, Mary finds it a lot easier to face many things that used to terrify her. And he is more than happy to be there for her.
Source: The Dodo