We’re not usually the online home for the feels but some stories are just so damn touching they have to be shared.
Meet Frank, a chihuahua-dachshund mix bringing comfort to children with a brain condition known as hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is an excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. Frank not only brings support to children with the condition he serves as an inspiration — Frank himself suffers from hydrocephalus. The 9-month-old pup was almost euthanized because of the condition.
“As a very young puppy, Frank clearly had a really big head,” Amy McCracken, executive director of a no-kill shelter called the Richmond Animal League in Virginia, told TODAY.com. “We transfer animals from municipal shelters that are in danger of being euthanized, and that’s how we got Frank.” The Richmond Animal League placed Frank in a foster home in hopes that he would fare well. Aside from experiencing one seizure at 8 weeks old, Frank thrived in the care of his foster parents, Toni and Kevin Mark of Virginia — and the Marks fell hopelessly in love with him.
The Marks weren’t sure if they could keep Frank, since he’d have a ton of medical bills and procedures, but luckily fate stepped in. Stacy Metz frequently sees kids and adults with hydrocephalus. She works as an administrative assistant at the neurosurgery department of Virginia Commonwealth University. She adopted Frank and turned him into a therapy dog for the patients.
Here’s where you’re going to want to grab some Kleenex. Frank befriended a happy little dude named Dylan Lipton-Lesser. Born eleven weeks premature, Dylan developed hydrocephalus while fighting a severe infection. Dylan underwent fifteen brain surgeries before the age of two. He’s recently made huge progress in his treatment.
Here’s video of Dylan hearing for the first time.
Dylan and Frank are both expected to live long and happy lives.
I’m expected to leave the office late, once my sobbing stops and my red eyes subside.