Ryan Jessen
Ryan Jessen was a landscape designer from California. When he was 26-years-old, he found a stray puppy. The puppy was walking around a cemetery near Ryan’s parents’ house, and she was covered in fleas. Ryan’s sister, Michelle, called her a “little flea-bitten puppy.” Ryan fell in love with the dog regardless of her condition. He decided to take the boxer puppy in, and he named her Millie. From the day they met, Ryan and Mollie had an incredible bond.
Tragedy Strikes
In 2016, Ryan suffered from a headache. He thought that it was a typical migraine; however, it turned out to be a ventricular brain hemorrhage. He was taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville. He was in a coma and put on a ventilator. The doctors believed that Ryan’s condition was a combination of his high blood pressure and his love of energy drinks. Since there is still a lot that doctors don’t know about brain hemorrhages, this is merely speculation. His sister says that she wishes that they knew the exact cause of the hemorrhage so they would have something to blame. Sadly, they had no concrete proof.
Saying Goodbye
On November 30, 21016, Ryan’s family gathered around him to say goodbye. The doctors told the family that he was brain dead and there was no hope of him waking up. On the day that they said goodbye, the family knew that it wouldn’t be complete unless Mollie were there. She was Ryan’s best friend, and they believed that she needed to be there.
Closure
Michelle believed that Mollie needed to say goodbye so that she would have some closure. They didn’t want her wondering why her best friend abandoned her. Michelle believed that if Mollie could see Ryan and say goodbye, that she would have a better understanding. Fortunately, the hospital staff agreed, and they allowed Mollie to come and say her final goodbye to Ryan. The moment this dog said a final goodbye to her owner is absolutely heartbreaking.
Capturing the Moment
Michelle decided to capture the heartbreaking scene on video. She wanted Ryan’s friends to and other family members to be part of his goodbye, so she posted the video to Facebook. She included a caption to the video that read, “Rideout Memorial Hospital did the sweetest thing for us and allowed us to bring my brother’s dog in to say goodbye. She needed to know why her human never came home. If you knew my brother, you know how much he loved his sweet dog.” The video of Mollie saying goodbye was incredibly touching.
Going Viral
Michelle’s post quickly went viral. People from all over the world were sharing and commenting. It wasn’t long before The Today Show saw the video and reached out to Michelle for an interview. Michelle says that Mollie seemed to understand the sadness in the room. She stood with her tail between her legs. She says that her parents held Mollie up to Ryan so that she could be by his side. They even put her on the bed so that she could be close to him one last time.
Not All Hospitals Are As Welcoming
A woman named Shelby Hennick discovered that not all hospitals are as kind as Rideout Memorial Hospital. Her grandmother was hospitalized due to a bad reaction to her medication. She was in the hospital for a while and desperately wanted to see her dog, Patsy.
Asking Permission
When Shelby spoke to a nurse at the hospital, she was told that animals were not allowed there unless they were service animals. Shelby couldn’t believe this. She knew that her grandmother would feel better after seeing Patsy. Her spirits would be lifted, and she would get out of the hospital faster. When she spoke to the hospital administration to see if they would make an exception, they refused.
Vet Tech
Shelby is a vet tech, and she knows how much comfort and healing a dog can provide his owner. Shelby was devastated that the hospital administration didn’t understand this. She knew that she had to do something for her grandmother.
Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands
Shelby went to her grandmother’s house to pick up Patsy. Since Shelby was small, Shelby decided to smuggle him into the hospital. She wrapped the dog up in a blanket and disguised her as a baby. Nobody even realized that it was a dog that she was bringing into the hospital. When she put Pasty in her grandmother’s arms, it was well worth it. Shelby says that the look on her grandmother’s face was amazing when the two were reunited. Sometimes, you need to break the rules for those you love.
