Making a Difference: Dog, owner touch lives

Animals have an ability to reach out to people who are hurting in ways that another person can’t, says Sahuarita resident Phyllis Soldwisch.

This dedicated nurse and volunteer knows first-hand from her work with youngsters and veterans, often assisted by Bailey, her intuitive Jack Russell terrier.

Soldwisch, 60, started volunteering as a child advocate with the Head Start program when she was a teen in Camp Verde. She went on to serve 10 years in the Army as a psychological social worker and two decades as a nurse, which included work with children and teens.

“All along the way, I was very attracted to being a child advocate,” Soldwisch said.

After she and her husband, Michael, moved to Sahuarita about three years ago, Soldwisch volunteered at the veterans’ hospital in Tucson. She also became a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children and got involved with Tucson-based Casa de los Ninos, a haven for children in crisis.

She finds “you can make a difference and help repair their little hearts and spirits.”

Bailey, an active 5-year-old canine, often joins her. He showed a knack for therapy work as a puppy when visiting Michael’s mother in a nursing home, Soldwisch says. Bailey wanted to see all the residents there, and one man started waiting by the door for Bailey to arrive. A staff member told Soldwisch she saw the man talking to Bailey, even though he hadn’t spoken to others in a year.

After that, Soldwisch took Bailey for training at the Delta Society, dedicated to improving people’s health and well-being through positive interactions with animals. About three years ago, he became a therapy dog and is active with Gabriel’s Angels, which offers pet therapy for abused and at-risk children.

Soldwisch has found that with children, Bailey is a great ice-breaker and plays with the kids. “Bailey gets them to let down their guard,” she says.

“One little boy was so badly hurt, he wouldn’t talk to anyone or use the bathroom,” she recalls. Bailey came to visit the youngster regularly and it opened the door for the child to be able to trust people again, she says.

According to Rosie Dyer, supervisor of medical services at Casa de los Ninos, it’s a highlight for the children when Soldwisch comes in with Bailey. “The children love animals, and it’s a great experience for them,” she says.

“And it’s not that they just come in play,” Dyer adds. Soldwisch and Bailey teach the children skills such as empathy and kindness.

The veteran’s hospital also was a wonderful place for Bailey, Soldwisch says. “People there just loved him, and he loved them.”

One young soldier with a brain injury was depressed and reluctant to communicate. With Bailey helping guide his hand, the man began using a language board.

“It’s amazing to me. Bailey just seemed to know who to work with,” Soldwisch says.

After working as a staff nurse at Casa de los Ninos, Soldwisch is starting a new job there this summer in a nurse/family partnership. She’ll be visiting weekly with first-time mothers at risk, teaching prenatal nutrition and baby care. This prevention program continues with the new mom and baby for two years and is shown to result in healthier children and to help young mothers cut back on subsequent pregnancies, substance abuse, arrests and domestic violence, Soldwisch said.

With her new job responsibilities, Soldwisch will have to give up her CASA work, but she and Bailey will stay active with Gabriel’s Angels.

“It’s been a positive experience” for both of them, she notes.

Making a Difference features folks who help make Sahuarita a great place to live. To recommend someone for this weekly series, call Karen Walenga at 547-9739, e-mail to kwalenga@gvnews.com or FAX to 625-1603.