In a special celebration of National Dolphin Day on Monday, April 14, the nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach opened its doors to patients from Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital for a one-of-a-kind educational experience led by the hospital’s mascot, Millie the Dolphin.
This unique behind-the-scenes tour gave pediatric patients the opportunity to explore the parallels between animal and human healthcare, emphasizing shared experiences of healing, resilience, and medical care. Millie, accompanied by her young friends, guided the patients through the Aquarium, where t
hey learned about animal care procedures and saw firsthand how veterinary professionals treat animals using similar medical tools and techniques as those used for human patients.
“For Millie’s very special day, we were excited to partner with the Aquarium of the Pacific to give our patients a chance to engage with the veterinary world,” said Rita Goshert, director, Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “We’re always looking for fun and creative ways to help kids connect, learn and heal – and this was such a unique opportunity to do that outside the hospital walls.”
During their visit, the patients transformed into honorary animal care experts for the day. With guidance from Dr. Brittany Stevens, Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarian, and Louise Leborgne, Aquarium of the Pacific veterinary technician, the children participated in various activities, learning how animal care specialists care for, treat and heal the Aquarium’s residents and rescued animals. Patients practiced cleaning and wrapping an injury on a toy puffin, administering pretend injections, listening to a desert tortoise’s heartbeat, and even helping “feed” the animals. They also learned how anesthesia is safely used on larger animals during procedures and viewed real X-rays from animals treated at the Aquarium for injuries – drawing important parallels between animal healthcare and their own experiences as patients.
“This day is so special because children who have had medical experiences can come to the Aquarium’s Molina Animal Care Center and see how much of what we do is similar to what they experience,” said Dr. Brittany Stevens, Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarian. “We use a lot of the same equipment, perform similar procedures, and the children can relate to the similarities, having a shared experience with some of the animals here today.”
Among the patients was 7-year-old Sage, who has been treated for leukemia at the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute at Miller Children’s & Women’s for the past two years. For her mom, Jamie, the visit was a powerful and uplifting experience.
“As a parent, it was so special to see Sage step into the role of the doctor instead of the patient,” said Jamie Holzhauer.
“She’s spent so much time in the hospital being cared for, so to see her get to play and connect with the animals’ stories of healing was such a fun and empowering experience.”
This National Dolphin Day, Millie reminded patients that courage, care, and resilience can help them overcome even the biggest challenges – whether on land or under the sea. Through these hands-on experiences, Miller Children’s & Women’s patients got to see firsthand how animals recover from injuries and illnesses, just like they are learning to do in their own medical journeys.
