Karen Smiley is a natural ambassador for cheerfulness and gratitude, but even her optimism was put to the test when she needed emergency gastrointestinal surgery. As anyone who has suffered from abdominal pain can tell you, it’s some of the most severe pain imaginable. Karen also needed an air ambulance on what was an extremely dark and stormy night in Eureka, California. To further up the stakes, Karen is legally blind, and the hospital didn’t think Karen’s seeing-eye dog, Dotty, would be allowed on the flight. As it turns out, Karen’s lifelong positivity earned her some well-deserved good karma, and Dotty got the thumbs up. Says Flight Nurse Maggie Johnston, “Dotty was such a gem and really helped Karen with her anxiety and pain throughout the transport. Having a canine along was so cool!” Karen’s surgery was successful, and she recovered beautifully. “It’s a really good service,” she says of Cal-Ore. “I loved the care.”
