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'Nash Wednesdays' bring joy to Gaylord Hospital patients this holiday season

'Nash Wednesdays' bring joy to Gaylord Hospital patients this holiday season

Fox 61 News
By Jim Altman
Dec. 7, 2022

WALLINGFORD, Conn. — Just in time for the holiday season, Nash, an 85-pound black Labrador Retriever, is making his rounds at Gaylord Hospital.

With his handler Amanda McQuaid, a recreation therapist at Gaylord, Nash has been on a mission to spread more joy to patients in December.

“He provides a sense of comfort [to patients], almost like a serotonin boost,” McQuaid said of Nash.

Nash, who will turn 3 years old on Christmas Eve, is popular with patients like Nicole Pedonti, from Portland. Pedonti is fighting back from the effects of metabolic complications, that have temporarily confined her to a wheelchair.