Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1233243
AC PUP Kiyyaa is just what the doctor ordered BEING A PATIENT in the hospital is very scary. You're in unfamiliar territory when you don't feel well with beeping equipment, skimpy gowns and strangers in uniforms eager to poke and prod you. You're told when you can eat, what you can eat and even what seasonings you're allowed to have on your food. You put your schedule, health and very life in the hands of people you've just met. It takes a leap of faith and a ton of trust to be a patient in the hospital. Dr. Yomi Gammada, a well-respected doctor with Coliseum Health System who is affectionately known as Dr. G., understands what patients experience. For years he's offered comfort and reassurance to countless patients and their families. Still, he sought to do more to connect with them and show them compassion during their trying times. That's when he decided to explore the possibility of having his beloved 10-year-old Golden Retriever, Kiyyaa, certified to become a therapy dog. Last spring, with the goal of caring for his patients in a way like never before, Dr. G. and his dog embarked upon the six-month journey of tests, observations and paperwork that would declare them a Pet Therapy Team. They received the official designation just before Christmas. And so, Dr. G. began the adventure of practicing medicine in a way designed to develop a deep bond with his patients along with his new canine partner, who brings pure love into their rooms. Dr. G. always knew Kiyyaa would be the perfect therapy dog. After all, he's had the dog since he was 12 weeks old and has spent the past decade with him. He knows the calming effect Kiyyaa has on people with his kind, laid back demeanor. And he knows how much Kiyyaa loves people. He's like a ray of sunshine entering each patient's room. Dr. G. knew it was the perfect prescription that combined the science of medicine with the love of a very special boy. The response has been overwhelming, and Kiyyaa has been in high demand by anxious patients and staff requesting the stress-relieving boost that comes from petting an adorable dog. Dr. G. and Kiyyaa have created a successful, unique healing team that greatly benefits humans who need to know someone cares about them. It's what happens when medicine and love collide – just what the doctor ordered. – PATTI JONES LOCAL BUZZ Miller-Lanier 50th class reunion planned for May IN JUNE 1970, the last class of Miller- Lanier High School graduated. Fifty years later, the class will reunite on May 1-2. "It was the friends that we made back in high school that are still in our hearts today," said Beth Sutton, Miller Class of 1970. "It never changes. When you see one of these friends from high school, it feels like it was just yesterday we were together because we grew up together like that in high school." The class of 1970 is an historic class for Macon because it was the last class of Miller-Lanier High School before the two schools joined together to become Central High School. This class was the first class to be integrated from junior high to high school. "This was the best class," said Hal Baskin, Lanier Class of 1970. "They saved the best for last, and we took Lanier out in style." The class of 1970 brought national television exposure to Macon when the Lanier Poets' running back Isaac Jackson was featured in "See Isaac Run" on CBS News in fall 1969. He was chosen in the 15th round of the 1974 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. "Attending non-coed high schools make the reunions so much more meaningful to those of us that work on the reunion committees and have attended the reunions through the years because we meet classmates we never knew," said Dianne (Smith) Clark, Miller Class of 1970. "For some of us, high school was not 'the best of times,' and what separated us in high school … has long since faded, and who we were is no longer who we are now." If you want to help make the 50th reunion special, visit the class Facebook page or email Ben Sandifer at gmsproductions@cox.net. – KATIE MARIE O'NEAL DR. YOMI GAMMADA AND KIYYAA 3 0 M ACO N M AG A Z I N E.CO M | F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 2 0