By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
Meet Pumpkin: A facility dog changing experiences at Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Pumpkin is a regular dog. Except she’s not.
She loves chasing squirrels and will beg for a taste of your lunch. But Pumpkin is also a professionally educated facility dog at Children’s Hospital of Michigan—one whose calm presence, soft fur, and steady demeanor are changing how children experience care.
After completing two years of specialized education, Pumpkin joined the hospital in September 2025. Her preparation included navigating elevators and stairwells, adapting to frequent interactions with new people, and responding gently to children of all ages and medical needs.
Every Monday, Pumpkin arrives to work freshly groomed and impossibly soft. She spends about 40 hours a week at the hospital alongside her handler, Child Life Specialist Caitlin Thompson, with whom she also lives. Caitlin completed a week-long intensive education to integrate Pumpkin’s support into patient care.
This work is made possible through the support of the Children’s Foundation, including a $120,000 leadership gift from donor, Jane Iacobelli, whose generosity helped launch the facility dog program. Since 2023, the Foundation has awarded approximately $330,000, inclusive of Iacobelli’s gift, to train, implement, and sustain Pumpkin as a facility dog at the hospital.
“Pumpkin helps everyone feel more comfortable,” Caitlin shared. “Whether it’s infants, toddlers, school-aged children, or teenagers, she brings a sense of calm and safety the moment she arrives.”
Through her work with Child Life Services, Pumpkin supports children in meaningful ways—from helping them understand what’s happening to their bodies, to encouraging movement, to simply being present during hard moments.
Helping make sense of treatment and care
Understanding what’s happening can make a big difference in how children experience medical care. Child Life Specialists are using Pumpkin to help kids feel informed, prepared, and confident.
A child who’s hesitant to talk might suddenly ask, “I got a shot—does Pumpkin get shots?”
That question creates space for a Child Life Specialist to explain what happened and help the child process their experience.
Encouraging movement through play
Pumpkin also encourages movement and participation in physical therapy in ways that feel less intimidating. Caitlin recalls seeing patients in the hallway struggling to walk and inviting them to help walk Pumpkin instead.
In one powerful example, a toddler recovering from a car accident refused to get out of bed. A physical therapist and Child Life Specialist coordinated a session that invited the child to roll Pumpkin’s favorite orange ball—turning exercise into play.
A comforting presence in difficult moments
When children are experiencing pain, Pumpkin helps patients relax and ground themselves during moments of high distress. Because she remains calm, patients often mirror her energy. Some children who rated their pain as a 10 out of 10 have even fallen asleep while focusing on how Pumpkin’s fur feels or the steady rhythm of her breathing.
At other times, Pumpkin is a friend during difficult conversations. After building a bond with one patient, she was brought in to offer comfort during a conversation with police later that week, helping the child feel safe enough to open up.
And sometimes, Pumpkin is just good company—there to quietly hang out, climb into bed for a snuggle, or watch squirrel videos on a patient’s phone. Those moments of normalcy can lead to genuine laughter, something that can be hard to come by in a hospital setting.
An essential part of the care team
“We expected Pumpkin to make a difference,” Caitlin said. “Now we can’t imagine our work without her.”
Because of the Children’s Foundation’s support, Pumpkin has become an integral part of the care team—helping children feel calmer, braver, and more understood during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Sometimes, care is clinical. And sometimes, it’s a regular dog—who just happens to be extraordinary.
