Nina Offers a Helping Paw to Saint Luke’s Cancer Patients

In a way, Nina Noe, 60, and her rescue dog Violet saved each other.

Ten years ago, Nina, a Lake Winnebago resident, was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer that led to a partial mastectomy followed by radiation treatment at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City.

During her recovery, Nina adopted Violet, who served as a beacon of hope during a trying time.

“Violet was a kind soul,” Nina says. “She was my person and I was her person. When I felt bad, she would know. Just petting her relieved a lot of my anxiety.”

Nina’s niece also found comfort in a therapy dog during a hospital stay. According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, therapy dogs help improve patient emotional and social well-being, even while the patient’s physical well-being was in decline during chemotherapy.

After Violet passed, Nina decided to honor her memory by providing that same comfort to others.

Healing paws

After five years of being cancer free, Nina celebrated by adopting and training a lovable golden retriever named KC, her first therapy dog.

Nina and KC completed a year of therapy training and certifications. She asked to join Saint Luke’s as a volunteer and started her own nonprofit organization for therapy dogs, Heart of America KC K9 Teams.

KC uplifted everyone’s spirits from the moment he entered Saint Luke’s East Breast Center. He made the biggest difference to patients and staff members in the infusion center.

“The infusion patients really need support,” Nina says. “The smiles and the tears of joy—it's so heart-warming. The staff also needs it because of what they're seeing and working with each day.”

Nina and KC would volunteer for two to three hours per week, seeing 20 to 35 patients per visit. In a short time, KC became beloved by patients and staff. Nina, having been through cancer and its emotional burdens, was glad to give patients the same unconditional support only a dog can provide.

“Even for the brief 5- or 10-minute sections of time people had with KC, they were life-changing,” she says. “KC was the celebrity there.”

Carrying on KC’s legacy 

In May 2025, KC developed a rare form of cancer and passed away, a few months before his second birthday.

In her grief, Nina decided the best way to move forward was to do keep bringing positivity to the community. For her, that meant continuing her dog therapy work.

Through her breeder, Nina has been taking Gideon, a 4-year-old golden retriever, to Saint Luke’s East Breast Center in Lee’s Summit twice a week. In the meantime, she is training new puppies—Brock, named after the vet who cared for KC, and Teddy—to expand her dog therapy program.

Nina hopes to soon retire and provide dog therapy full-time. At least, that’s how the stars seem to be aligning.

“Here’s the ironic thing: Brock was born on the day that KC died,” Nina says. “Everything falls into place—like certain things are supposed to happen.”

Volunteering at Saint Luke’s 

As a Saint Luke’s volunteer, you can make a difference in the lives of our patients, families, and staff. Volunteers can greet visitors at the front door, help patients and families during their visit, and more. 

Find volunteer opportunities at a Saint Luke’s location near you.