SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
Being a patient in a hospital can be a lonely experience. So some hospitals try to cheer up patients by bringing in special guests for visits. That's what happens once a month at a children's hospital in Ohio, as Ida Lieszkovszky from member station Ideastream Public Media reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF VEHICLE DOORS SHUTTING)
IDA LIESZKOVSZKY, BYLINE: Good morning.
The celebrity making a stop at Akron Children's Hospital this day arrives in a white van. Inside is Willie Nelson, and he is wearing blue socks.
SUE MILLER: Those come off when we get to the hospital. Those keep his feet clean while he's in the trailer.
LIESZKOVSZKY: This Willie Nelson doesn't talk or sing much. Sue Miller takes off his blue socks. She's the owner and cofounder of Victory Gallop, a therapeutic riding school, and Willie is a pony. Before Willie can step hoof in a hospital, he needs a thorough cleaning.
MILLER: He gets a pretty involved bathing prior to coming here.
LIESZKOVSZKY: Willie gets two baths, one with a surgical scrub and another with horse shampoo. His feet get an additional scrubbing and are wrapped in blue veterinary wrap for the trip over, as is his tail.
(SOUNDBITE OF PONY WALKING)
LIESZKOVSZKY: Willie's been a therapy pony for eight years. He goes to hospitals to visit kids and adults and travels to schools and nursing homes for special events. At the hospital, it's slowgoing for Miller and Willie. Every few steps, they meet someone thrilled to see a pony.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: So long.
CHRISTINE HURTUBISE: Willie, I finally get to see you for reals.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Oh, my gosh. Look, how cute, right?
LIESZKOVSZKY: They stop first to visit 16-year-old Angelina Howes in the burn unit. Recently out of surgery, she's in isolation, so the pony can't go into her room. But Howes has the kind of personality that can't be confined by four walls. So while nurses excitedly crowd around the pony, Howes speaks to Willie from a distance.
ANGELINA HOWES: I love Willie Nelson so much.
LIESZKOVSZKY: This was the second visit for the two. Willie had shown up for Howes' birthday the previous week.
ANGELINA: I cried so hard. I mean, it was the best present.
LIESZKOVSZKY: Miller says it takes a special kind of pony to become a therapy animal. Kids can be loud and like to run and jump. Willie Nelson is often surrounded by little sticky fingers petting his soft hair from all directions, but he's professional and barely makes a move. Miller says it took eight months to train him.
MILLER: When we got him, we trained him in my house to begin with. You know, I'd walk him around the kitchen, and we'd bang the pots and pans. Then we took him into the bathroom. We'd flush toilets.
LIESZKOVSZKY: Studies show therapy animals can reduce anxiety and depression and lower stress in patients and caregivers. Some limited studies have also shown therapy animals can decrease pain in patients and increase perceived energy levels.
MILLER: Being in a hospital obviously is no fun. You know, you're not feeling that great. Most of the people that are coming in are doctors or therapists - people that are doing things that may not be super, you know, comfortable. And he just kind of gives you a break for the day, something to smile about.
LIESZKOVSZKY: And now Willie walks down hospital hallways, charming people and lifting spirits. His next stop in the burn unit is with 15-year-old Aniyah Angel-Thacker, who was in a car crash recently. She didn't expect to see a pony coming into her room.
ANIYAH ANGEL-THACKER: He made me very happy. It was a surprise seeing him in the hospital.
LIESZKOVSZKY: The pony spent a few more hours visiting patients, and then it was time for Willie Nelson to get on the road again. For NPR News, I'm Ida Lieszkovszky in Akron, Ohio.
(SOUNDBITE OF HIT CO. MASTERS SONG, "ON THE ROAD AGAIN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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