Cancer ravages children. They must face the shock of the diagnosis. Then they must deal with the side effects of chemotherapy. The disease effects both the body and mind.
But work is underway to ease the suffering of young cancer patients. Researchers, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations are using animals to soothe worried minds.
Pfizer and the American Humane Association will soon research animal-assisted therapy. This month, they announced that they would conduct a joint study on the use of animals for pediatric cancer patients.