ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) -- A therapy dog that has spent years visiting cancer patients at Orlando Regional Medical Center is back on the job after it began its own cancer treatment.
Conrad, an 8-year-old lab, makes many visits to the MD Anderson Cancer Center to boost patients' spirits.
"Everything's so chaotic, and you worry about things, and you get to pet an animal or be with an animal, and you don't think about the scope of things. It takes the pressure off," said patient Mari Flippen.
The hospital staff said Conrad has been missed while he was undergoing treatment for bone cancer.
But Conrad's demeanor hasn't changed as he walks the hallways and brightens spirits. He's all smiles.
He just can't eat the crunchy treats the staff used to give him. They have to be soft.
"He can't eat. The cancer is in his nose," Amy Morton said.
Patient David Moher said he's an animal lover and it's nice to have Conrad around.
"Just nice to have something that sort of distracts you," said Mohler. "They don't pity you. They don't do anything. They just come up and show you some love."
For Conrad, the radiation treatments stop in a just a few more days.
WESH