By arhospice on June 7th, 2021

A special wish to see a favorite animal came true when an Arkansas Hospice pediatric patient was treated to a private visit with Phoenix the penguin.

On a sunny Saturday in late May, a sweet girl named Sanari and her family enjoyed a private meet and greet with Phoenix at the Little Rock Zoo’s Penguin Pointe exhibit. Sanari and her father, Jameel; her mother, Rachanda; and her older sister, Sabriyah, learned that Phoenix was rejected by her mother, but taken into the home of a zookeeper until she was ready to be returned to the habitat with the rest of the penguins. While penguins are often thought of as being from colder regions like Antarctica, the penguins at the Little Rock Zoo are native to South Africa, so they are used to warmer climates.

When an Arkansas Hospice social worker learned that Sanari wanted to see a penguin, the Arkansas Hospice Foundation team contacted the Little Rock Zoo to make this little girl’s dream a reality. Being able to not only see a penguin, but also get up close, touch it and learn about its life was an unforgettable experience for Sanari and her family.

While some might think hospice care is only for the elderly, Arkansas Hospice actually cares for patients of all ages and has a dedicated team to care for pediatric patients and their families. Arkansas Hospice helps patients like Sanari live life to the fullest, and, as the state’s largest non-profit provider of hospice services, cares for hundreds of Arkansans each day in more than 40 counties.

To learn more about the mission of Arkansas Hospice or to make a donation, please visit https://arkansashospice.org/.

Special thanks to Zoo Director Susan Altrui and the staff at the Little Rock Zoo for going above and beyond to make Sanari’s visit with Phoenix possible.