TOLEDO, Ohio — Local cancer patients and their families took their minds off the stress of chemotherapy, radiation and all the other things that come with having cancer to have a date night with some furry friends.
Monday was reserved for puppy therapy at The Victory Center.
The organization is known for the support and programs they offer to cancer patients and their families in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
Susan Rostkowski has been going to The Victory Center since 2019 when doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer. She didn't use many of the services until 2020 when that diagnosis changed to metastatic breast cancer.
It spread to her spine, and she said puppy therapy is one of the things helping Susan get through it.
"There's a lot of different therapies, but as soon as puppy therapy came on the roster I signed us (Rostkowski and her husband, Greg,) up," she said.
Now, puppy therapy has become something of a date night for the two.
"We came a couple of months ago for puppy therapy and it was great for people therapy," Rostkowski said. "Just him coming here with me and doing one of the therapies was really neat because we got to share that together."
The Victory Center has partnered with the Lucas County Pit Crew for the second time to bring the puppies.
Due to the program's success, Victory Center Program Director Hattie Lykowski is hoping to make it a regular affair.
"I hear the word overwhelmed sometimes when people are talking about their journey," Lykowski said. "So having a program like this, like puppy therapy, where they can come and relax and bathe in the snuggles and cuteness and playfulness, that's hugely important. It gives them a break."
Lykowski said the situations and decisions cancer patients are faced with are both stressful and draining, but having animals around helps boost their mood.
"It really does," Rostkowski said. "It is shocking that a four-legged creature can do that and actually take away your stress. I've had a bad couple of weeks dealing with medical things, as always, and the only thing I was looking forward to was puppy therapy."
Rostkowski received another diagnosis a few months ago and has to go through radiation again. But, being able to go to programs together has helped the married couple through tough times.
"The joy that it brings to her, that brings joy to me," Greg said. We've been through a lot and for us to be able to have those positive memories and positive experiences, it really does a lot for the both of us."
As someone who is on the outside looking in, Greg said he's seen how much The Victory Center has helped his wife. He said anyone going through a diagnosis should reach out to the center and take advantage of everything they have to offer.