Emotional Antidote w/ Dr. Robert Garafalo and Jesse Freidin

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Dogs Provide A Furry Antidote Of Emotional Support To People Living With HIV

Rob Garafalo and Fred

Rob Garafalo and Fred

About The Episode

Dr. Robert Garafalo is a physician who was always healthy and worked in adolescent HIV Services and adolescent medicine at a Chicago hospital. However, when he himself was diagnosed with HIV, he wasn’t sure how to cope.

Around when Rob was turning 40, a shift had already started. He had been diagnosed with cancer, was assaulted, and then diagnosed with HIV – all within a period of about 15 months. The combination of them all, in particular the latter, felt like a crushing blow. Rob had spent his career teaching his patients to love themselves and make it through their diagnosis, but he found himself unable to follow his own advice and instead wallowed in fear and despair.

One day, a thought popped into his head. He had never had a dog before but thought that maybe he should get one. He did some research and came across a Yorkie who he instantly knew he had to make part of his life. That was Fred, who immediately made an impact in turning things around.

From bringing Rob out of himself and back into the moment of daily living and activities, as well as filling up space to feel safe again in his home, Fred brought joy and positivity back into Rob’s life. Dogs don’t see us as damaged or for what we’ve gone through, they see us in a much more pure and loving way. Plus, they help us to stay responsible and committed. Rob needed that, and Fred was the antidote.

In his honor, Rob started a nonprofit to raise awareness and money for adolescents that are affected by HIV. Started in 2013, the Fred Says organization has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to date.

Jesse Freidin and a client’s dog

Jesse Freidin and a client’s dog

Rob and returning guest Jesse Freidin recently traveled across the United States and documented stories across the country of those who had similar experiences to Rob with their dog turning their life around following an HIV diagnosis. It eventually turned into a new book with the full title of When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them that has released on March 2nd, 2021. In each story, the dogs saw their human companions in a pure and loving way that helped them make it through the tough time of their diagnosis and find a positive path for themselves.

About The Guests - Dr. Robert Garafalo and Jesse Freidin

Dr. Robert Garofalo is a physician and the Division Head of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, as well as the Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is also the Founder of Fred Says, a nonprofit that supports the health and well-being of HIV+ adolescents.

Jesse Freidin is one of the top fine art dog photographers in America. For the past 15 years, his portraiture has studied the deeply healing power of the human/ and dog bond, telling a contemporary story of companionship and love that truly honors the role dogs play in our lives. His photography has appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, and more.

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