Print-Friendly Version |
 Mary Lou Naso is our mom and we're proud to call her our hero. What makes her special is that she and Harry are heroes to all the patients and families that she visits. We love you Mother!- Christian & Daniel Walsh
|
COMMUNITY HERO:
MARY LOU NASO & HARRY
by Christian Walsh
Mary Lou Naso and her friend, Harry, visit the sick and dying in the hospital. Her friend performs tricks, but he's not a magician like the more famous Harry, Harry Houdini. His favorite tricks are catching his tennis ball and choosing which hand a snack is hidden in (though, he's not always right!). Harry is well-behaved around all the children...he doesn't mind kissing his new friends and loves it when they rub his hair. You may have guessed by now that Harry is a special friend - he is a dog.  Every 2 weeks, Mary Lou and Harry visit the Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Rehabilitation and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Mary Lou explains, "Harry's visits usually consist of lots of treats and lots of petting. Some of the more able-bodied children will play ball with him - he loves to catch the tennis ball. He also likes to perform his tricks: he knows his left paw from his right paw, retrieving the tennis ball, he can guess in which hand you are hiding a treat-he will place his paw on the hand he thinks the treat is in (and doesn't always guess right!) He also gives kisses to patients on command and will sit and stay on command. He has free reign at the hospital and is allowed in all of the units, including intensive care."
 Mary Lou and Harry bring happiness into places where it's sometimes hard to find smiles."One mother came out of a hospital room and asked if her son could meet Harry. We went in and her son was in the bed. He was in a coma and had a horseshoe scar on his head from his recent surgery to remove a brain tumor. His mom placed his hand on Harry. She explained to the unconscious boy that Harry was a black dog, like a Labrador, and helped the boy rub Harry's fur. She smiled and thanked us before we left. She knew her son would remember Harry." Mary Lou and Harry make lots of new friends every visit. Nurses, children, parents, and doctors spend time with Harry when he is at the hospital...Harry has more than enough kisses to go around. Mary Lou and Harry are heroes for the happiness they spread throughout the hospital among family and friends.
|
Harry is a licensed 'therapy dog.' Mary Lou and Harry attended 8 months of special obedience training classes preparing Harry for visiting patients in the hospital. After the classes, he was tested by Therapy Dog International (TDI) to make sure that he was ready for the unusual situations faced by a dog and owner in the hospital. He was given obedience commands while interacting with people in wheelchairs and on crutches. They even dropped a bedpan behind him to try to scare him, but Harry passed with flying colors. Harry was one of the top dogs in the class.
|
Written by
Christian Walsh
|
|
Therapy Dogs International is where Harry learned everything about being a therapy dog. The Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Rehabilitation takes care of children and their special needs. Harry visits here! |
|
Harry is the proud recipient of the TDIA award from Therapy Dog International for having performed over 50 visits! He is well on his way to the next award, which he receives after 150 visits. Keep up the good work, Harry! |
 |  |  |  |
| 'No Butts' Measure Inspired by Ingenious Woodbridge Siblings | A Powerful Noise promotes the global empowerment of women | Alex Hill helped to bring medical supplies to a Ugandan village. | Alice Baum and her husband Don Burnes left behind their careers to help the homeless. |
 |  |  |  |
| Ana Dodson formed Peruvian Hearts to provide Peruvian orphans an education. | Andrew E. Lieberman works to preserve indigenous languages and cultures. | Andrew Greene Jr. of Sierra Leone teaches the world about peace. | Angela Brooks is an architect who works to create sustainable and affordable housing. |
 |  |  |  |
| Anthony Dale Leanna donates 'Heavenly Hats' to cancer patients under treatment. | Art Miles Mural Project uses art to create a more peaceful global community. | Ashley Rhodes-Courter is an advocate for foster children and adoption rights. | Azie Morton valued education and gave back to her community. |
 |  |  |  |
| Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS Shoes to bring shoes to children who don't have them | Brandon Keefe provides books to underfunded libraries in his hometown. | Bunker Roy has dedicated his life to improving the lives of the rural poor in India. | Canal Futura is a Brazilian television channel which provides access to education. |
 |  |  |  |
| Chelsey Barrios and her peers collected thousands of books to give to Read to Grow. | Chi Nguyen was honored for helping street children in Vietnam. | Chief Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. | Child's Play Touring Theater performs worldwide works written by kids. |
 |  |  |  |
| Christian Bryan Alexander Harvey visits schools to talk about social justice and how to stop bullying. | Clotilde Dedecker provides educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan. | Coluche is a French humorist who created an organization to feed the poor | Dana Reeve was an actress and advocate for the disabled. She was the heroic wife of Christopher Reeve. |
 |  |  |  |
| Dave Congdon is a Special Olympics athlete and an inspiration to many facing barriers and difficult times. | Dennis Ryan Lawrence and Tara Ann Lawrence raise funds to fight cancer. | Detective Luis Rosa is a hero because he volunteers to make the lives of people with disabilities better. | Devin VanCleave was the Ambassador for a campaign to collect toys for children's hospitals. |
 |  |  |  |
| Diane Challis Davy directs the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters. | Divine Bradley: Team Revolution encourages kids to become involved in their communities and become leaders. | Dr. Ed Gragert works towards peace and global education. | Dr. Ella Mae Piper helped young people and the elderly in her community of Fort Myers. |
 |  |  |  |
| Dr. Felton Earls treats communities through his work. | Dr. Fred Barnett is a wise and compassionate pediatrician known for his caring ways. | Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy cares for the eyes of millions of people in India. | Dr. Madan Kataria has started a revolution of joy and laughter that is spreading around the world. |
 |  |  |  |
| Ed Grant is passionate about helping others better their lives. | Elizabeth Glaser was a community AIDS activist. | Engineers Without Borders are working to change the world. | Eric Samuel established Community Food Enterprise to reduce food poverty in East London. |
 |  |  |  |
| Eunice Kennedy Shriver dedicated her life to raising awareness and creating opportunities for the intellectually disabled. | FilmAid International educates, informs and to brings hope and joy to thousands of refugees. | Fred Batley gives young and aspiring actors and actresses a chance to shine. | Friends of the Sea Lion rescue, treat, and release these mammals back into the ocean. |
 |  |  |  |
| Geoffrey Canada is committed to enriching the livelihood and future of Harlem's children. | Girls for Gender Equity, Inc. encourages girls to live self-determined and healthy lives and to contribute to their community. | Global Kids Leaders volunteer to help their schools and communities. | Greg Mortenson persevered to build a school in a remote village in Pakistan. |
 |  |  |  |
| Heather DeWitt is a devoted conservationist. | Hector Morales teaches students to be self-sufficient environmentalists. | iEARN connects the globe through technology. | INSIDEOUT WRITERS D'nA eBus Project bring tools of expression to juvenille hall. |
 |  |  |  |
| J.A. and Geraldine Reynolds Founded 'Bruce's Garden' in NYC which honors Bruce, a victim of 9/11. | Jack Sim has started a worldwide campaign for clean public toilets and better sanitation standards. | Jacob Komar and Computers for Communities refurbishes computers and helps inner city residents obtain IT skills. | Jennifer Staple: Unite for Sight works to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness worldwide. |
 |  |  |  |
| Jessie Christopherson helps the physically and mentally challenged accomplish things they never thought possible. | Jože Plečnik was an architect from Slovenia who made his community beautiful. | Joe Brown gave up his ocean front home and created a park for everyone. | John Tighe inspired his neighbor with his big heart and the way he cared for people in their community. |
 |  |  |  |
| Josee Sutton helps girls learn to read and is a caring role model to those in her girl scout troup. | Joseph Marcel Shook Jr. is a compassionate community leader and a hero to his son, Joseph. | Judge Michael Tynan works for Homeless Court. | Karen Tse is an attorney dedicated to ensuring basic legal rights for Asian citizens. |
 |  |  |  |
| Kathryn Cunningham founded the nonprofit “Power Up Gambia” to provide solar energy to the hospitals and clinics. | Katie Simon founded Minga to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of young children. | Kimmie Weeks survived the war in Liberia and now works to rebuild communities in war-torn countries. | Kjerstin Erickson and Forge help refugees in Africa achieve economic self-sufficiency and empowerment through education. |
 |  |  |  |
| L'Abbe Pierre devoted his life to helping the poor and homeless in France. | Lee Myung-Bak is responsible for making Seoul, South Korea 'cleaner and greener' during his tenure as mayor. | Lisa Markham is a passionate and committed volunteer to the Special Olympics. | Ludomática offers technology and creative learning to disadvantaged Colombian youth |
 |  |  |  |
| Lyndon Harris: People Making a Difference founded The Gardens of Forgiveness Project. | Magic Johnson inspires others with his basketball talents and philanthropic work. | Malika Sanders was born into the Civil Rights Movement and continues work today. | Marcia Levitas co-founded an art endeavor which raises funds for cancer research and education. |
 |  |  |  |
| Mary Lou Naso & Harry visit hospitals to spread smiles. | Maura Welch was recognized by NetAid for her work to spread awareness about child labor. | Maxine Waters is a Congresswoman who works fervently for her community. | Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity. |
 |  |  |  |
| Mister Rogers television host, teacher and kindly neighbor to generations of children | MIT Open Courseware Project makes education accessible worldwide by offering free MIT courseware online. | Mory Sanberg makes bag lunches for the homeless people in her city. | Muhammad Yunus started a bank for poor people in Bangladesh. |
 |  |  |  |
| Nicole Dewing and Curtis McCormack joined the Peace Corps and started a waste recycling project in Joal, Senegal. | OPEN VISION YOUTH PROJECT strives to provide technology to students in Uganda. | Our Hero Barack Obama instills inner city youth with confidence to get involved and make a difference. | Pam Smith-Rodden helped turn a dream into a reality for an author and a community. |
 |  |  |  |
| Park, Won-Soon advocates a stronger Democracy for South Korea. | Paul J. Adams III is a passionate educator who built a nationally renowned prep school for African American students. | Pete Carroll is a successful coach who founded A Better LA to help gang members live a better life and plug into their communities. | PovertyFighters.com provide loans to needy families so they can open small businesses. |
 |  |  |  |
| Puppies Behind Bars benefits both inmates and dogs. | Queen Noor passionately works for peace, human rights, and wildlife conservation. | Queen Rania of Jordan is a crusader for the rights of women and children. | Ralf Hotchkiss is an engineer, inventor and humanitarian, and the founder of Whirlwind Wheelchair International. |
 |  |  |  |
| Ramani Sankaranarayanan and Geeta Vaidyanathan founded CTxGrEn to show villagers how to turn native materials into fuel for electricity. | Ravi Gulati has created learning centers for children with special needs in India. | Richard Avery is a beloved Scoutsmaster who has volunteered at home and overseas. | Roberto Saviano wrote a best selling book denouncing organized crime. |
 |  |  |  |
| Robin Opperman empowers the special needs individuals in his community and throughout South Africa | Rose Marie Thomas donated time and effort to combatting childhood catastrophic diseases. | Rosemarie L. Poeppelman is a foster mom and an adoptive parent who has changed the lives of many children. | Ruth DeGolia: Mercado Global works to help poor communities that have seen the collapse of prices for their locally grown crops. |
 |  |  |  |
| Sabriye Tenberken helps to educate and better the lives of blind people living in Tibet. | Saeed Awan developed a new carpet loom that reduces child labor in Pakistan. | Samuel Mockbee is an architect and teacher who builds homes for the poor. | Sindhu Ravishankar created the Vivid Vision Project to provide accessible eye care to impoverished communities in India. |
 |  |  |  |
| Sister Margaret Scheetz founded Beatitude House for homeless women and children. | Skip Blumberg successfully campaigned against City Hall to re-open a section of historic City Hall Park in NYC. | Soedati Warsito Rasman is a motivated activist for Indonesia's needy. | Special Olympics Tennis: Love Regardless of the Score |
 |  |  |  |
| Studs Terkel The author who captured the stories of everyday people celebrates his 95th birthday. | Suzanne Mubarak works to ensure education for the children of Egypt and the world. | Tawera Nikau was a successful rugby player who overcame personal losses to help at-risk youth in his community. | Terram Foundation brings job growth, community involvement, and local solutions to larger environmental concerns. |
 |  |  |  |
| Thais Corral gives women a voice in their communities through access to communication technology. | The Community College Foundation eBus brings technology to underserved communities and schools. | The Daffodil Project , through the generosity of B&K Bulbs in the Netherlands, brought hope to NYC after 9/11. | The Heifer Organization works with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. |
 |  |  |  |
| The Train Guy ---- Eric Clemons reflects on how an anonymous hero helped shape his life. | The VH1 Save the Music Foundation is a hero to Libby for its dedication to keep music education in the public schools. | Tori Degen is a cancer survivor who helps others with MAKE A WISH Foundation | Valentina Mindoljevic is a science teacher who helped to provide aid to women and child refugees in Croatia. |
 |  |  |  |
| Van Jones has found an effective way of addressing environmentalism and social justice by linking both issues. | Vicky Colbert de Arboleda is a leader in the movement to transform education in Colombia to provide equal access to all children. | Vikas Khanna is a chef, restaurant owner, and humanitarian who uses food to bring together a global community. | Viola Vaughn founded an organization that supports girls working to achieve academic success in Africa. |
 | |||
| William Kamkwamba designed and built a windmill, at the age of 14, for his family in Malawi, Africa. |
Last changed on:7/14/2008
|
