Jessica: A Four-Legged Favorite in Rambam's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

When Peleg Sasson, 20, was admitted to the Frania Goldhar Department of Cardiac Intensive Care at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam), he worried about his faithful canine companion, Jessica, but a heartwarming solution was soon found.

Peleg Sasson, originally from a community in the Gaza envelope and now a physics student at the Technion, was admitted to the Frania Goldhar Department of Cardiac Intensive Care at the Eyal Ofer Heart Hospital at Rambam after experiencing chest pain. Following a battery of tests, he was diagnosed with Myocarditis—an inflammation of the heart muscle that would require days of hospitalization. Although in expert hands, he still felt uneasy—his thoughts kept returning to his beloved Siberian Husky, Jessica, who had been left alone in his Haifa apartment.

“I asked if it would be permitted to bring her to Rambam so she could be with me,” says Sasson.

Strict protocols govern the Cardiac Intensive Care Department, and bringing a dog into the ward is highly unusual. Nevertheless, an exception was made possible through the issuing of a special permit. “We understood that Jessica would help Peleg relax and encourage him to cooperate with treatment, which could improve his condition,” explains Sarit Averbukh, the Department’s director of nursing, “We therefore applied for a special permit allowing her not only to visit, but to remain at his bedside. From a professional standpoint, since Jessica arrived, we’ve seen a clear improvement in his condition.”

Peleg Sasson and his beloved Siberian Husky, Jessica. Photography: Rambam HCC

Jessica is never left alone. Department staff happily step in to help and take her for walks when Sasson cannot leave his bed. She has quickly become a staff favorite, receiving plenty of affection and attention. “Just the other day, Jessica even came with me for an MRI,” adds Sasson. Describing the routine that has formed around the Department’s four-legged companion, he beams, “Having Jessica by my side is good for the heart—and not just mine.”