Ivan’s Story

When we arrived at Pasco Kids First, we hadn't yet met 6-year-old Ivan. He was already inside, in the middle of a forensic interview, the kind no child should ever have to go through.

We didn't see what happened in that room, but we heard about it afterward. Ivan had been a storm of emotion. Angry. Explosive. Lashing out in fear. At one point, he had threatened to blow up the building and harm everyone inside. His words, though shocking, were a reflection of his pain, deep and overwhelming, especially for someone only 6 years old.

But that wasn't the Ivan that we met! We met Ivan when he burst into the waiting room after his interview, energy bouncing off the walls. He was unable to sit still. He noticed Polar immediately with wide eyes and curiosity. We invited him in to meet Polar and started showing Ivan all of his tricks: shake, high-five, roll over - and Ivan lit up with every one of Polar's responses. The manic energy gave way to focus, and he began to laugh and follow directions on how to instruct Polar to do his tricks, sitting down on the floor with him, totally engaged.

It was then that we noticed people watching us from behind the desk, floored by the difference in Ivan's energy. He stayed with us for a while longer, calm and content - a completely different little boy than the one who walked in earlier, and when it was time to go, he left with his very own stuffed Polar to remind him of the safety and the connection he had found.

On this day, the first step toward healing came from the high-fives of our brilliant Courthouse Facility Dog!