A mum whose daughter was blighted by night terrors after a horrifying car crash has praised a rescue kitten for easing the six-year-old’s post-traumatic stress disorder.
In February last year, civil servant Jen Ritchie, 36, got a call that every parent dreads, telling her that her girl Molly had been involved in a serious collision.
Incredibly, the youngster escaped the wreckage with just a few bruises – but whilst physically, she was okay, mentally, it was a different story.
Within months, she began to suffer with night terrors, and would often lose control of her bladder.
Doctors confirmed that Molly was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - an anxiety condition triggered by a distressing event – and referred her to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), recommending that a pet may be therapeutic while she waited for more specialist help.
Heeding their advice, Jen, of The Wirral, Merseyside, adopted two rescue kittens – Teddy and Evie – in August, and within weeks, Molly’s symptoms eased.