Lymphoma took Beau, a 160-pound Bernese mountain dog, away from Olivia Wharton and her family in May, but Bubba, as they called him, was kind enough to leave the 5-year-old a stuffed teddy bear with his picture on it to snuggle in his stead at night.

This week the bear accompanied Olivia as she and her parents solemnly placed a stone with Bubba’s name on it alongside scores of other rocks lovingly added to baskets on a memorial table at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine.

The stone ceremony was part of the inaugural “Celebration of Life – An Evening of Remembrance” organized by NC State’s new Animal Cancer Center, led by Dr. Michael Nolan, the Randall B. Terry Jr. Distinguished Professor in Oncology. Nolan and his team wanted to offer an opportunity for families and the doctors, staff and students who treated their beloved pets this year to reconnect, remember and recognize that they are bound together in community.

“Often, our last encounters are not celebratory, and when the cancer ends, that relationship becomes quiet, and that’s natural in a medical setting,” Nolan says. “But this is an opportunity to get together and reflect today, to give the family a chance to think about all of the aspects of their relationships with their pets and our teams an opportunity to reunite with families they have had close relationships with.”

Fighting cancer is a major focus at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, where  innovative researchers generate ideas that are tested, refined, studied in clinical trials and then offered as life-changing therapeutics to clients at the NC State Veterinary Hospital, where the next generation of veterinarians are being trained.

Because of that dynamic, the companions being honored at the Celebration of Life will live on forever, Dr. Michael Mastromauro told the more than 100 attendees.

“Your pets have helped train so many students, interns, residents and staff, in many cases teaching them so much more than I have,” said Mastromauro, who completed his medical oncology residency at NC State in 2016 and then joined the team. “It goes so far beyond things like learning cancer statistics and the nuances of chemotherapy dosing but, more importantly, about the human-animal bond and why all of us are here. Many of them have also contributed to groundbreaking research that will benefit pets for generations to come.” 

Making People Feel Seen

The hourlong event also featured music from NC State faculty, staff and students — including a flautist playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow — a poetry reading, stories about two pets from families and members of their NC State care teams and a slideshow of submitted photos and remembrances from families.

One slide titled “Paisley” showed a young woman tightly holding a dog near a body of water as the sun burst through from behind them.

Paisley died this summer from aggressive histiocytic sarcoma after just six weeks of treatment, but it was important to Hailey Hughes and her mother, Heather, to drive three hours to attend the Celebration of Life just to thank the caring NC State team who gave them more time with their princess pup.

“We just felt so safe when she was here, and I had a lot of peace that she was getting the absolute best possible care that she could, night and day,” said Hailey, who rescued Paisley seven years ago. “This evening just meant a lot to us because it can feel alienating. It was just nice to see that we’re not alone, and it was just really special for everyone to have put so much effort into making people feel seen.” 

Nolan says Mastromauro offered to plan the event after a conversation about the best ways for the new Animal Cancer Center to start engaging with the community. 

“When they reach the end of their cancer journey, some of these clients, we don’t stay in touch,” Mastromauro said. “I thought this was a nice way to come back home, now that it’s not in the middle of an emotionally charged time, to reflect on what that pet meant to us and what we meant to each other along the way. It’s that sense of community that I want to share.” 

Joanne Caratelli also drove three hours to share the story of Wilson, a dog adopted as a nutty pup who evolved into an empathetic and attentive sidekick that just always knew when people were sad and needed his chin on their leg.

When Wilson was diagnosed with cancer, Caratelli brought him to NC State for treatment and worried about leaving him with strangers.

“He did not like to leave his mom, and the thought of leaving him for five days, to get radiation, was almost too much,” she said. “I stayed in a hotel for the week. The first day I brought him he moped. The second day he was happy to see Ashley, and by the third day he ran to her because he knew he was in such good hands. 

“He knows you loved him,” she turned and told Ashley Clifton, an oncology assistant who was standing by her side.

Clifton responded that it had been a privilege to walk through Caratelli’s journey with her and Wilson.

“What we remember most is not his diagnosis, but his spirit,” Clifton said. “Radiation can be a long journey, but Wilson approached it with patience and grace. He always greeted us with enthusiasm that filled our treatment room with warmth. Even though we were the ones treating him, Wilson was taking care of us, too, reminding us of the strength that can come from unconditional love.”

Life-Changing Research

At the end of the celebration, Rachel Mathew, a clinical social worker at NC State, guided the stone ceremony, a ritual that let families give form to their love and shape to their grief, she said, urging them to say the names aloud if they wanted.

“I think often we are expected to sweep grief under the rug, especially when it comes to animals, but animals play such an important role in our lives,” Mathew said. “The unconditional love we receive from them, the privilege for us to take care of them, teaches us so much as well. I hope people understood tonight that we care immensely, that we don’t forget you.”

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine has been offering cancer treatment through an oncology clinic since the school opened in the 1980s and has established a growing footprint in the realm of cancer research.

“We do really great work, and it’s my belief that with some intention and coordination, the Animal Cancer Center can facilitate even greater life-changing research,” Nolan said. “The key to improving cancer care is a one-word answer: research. The other thing we can do is nurture a sense of community, and this event is an example of that.”

In his closing remarks, Nolan told the attendees that the stones they left and the plant garden would be part of a new installation called “A Legacy of Hope” that will include an inscription honoring the profound impact of every patient cared for in the oncology department at NC State.

“Our goal is to learn enough that, someday, we’ll have fewer rocks in the pile,” he said.

And fewer little girls who lose the big ol’ sweet Bubba who used to pull Olivia on a sled through snow.

“He was really the best dog that anyone could ask for,” Paula Wharton said. “I describe him as my once in a lifetime dog, a great big brother to Olivia. We miss him very much.”

A Gallery of Slides Commemorating Companions Lost to Cancer

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