“When a giant dog approached a sick girl’s bed, everyone held their breath in anticipation of what would happen next. But what the dog did was absolutely unforgettable, and it left everyone present in the room in floods of tears.
When Bella Burton was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, she seemed like just any other child. She was adorable, had 10 fingers and 10 toes, and there was nothing out of the ordinary about this perfectly fine and healthy little baby girl. But by the age of two, her parents had started to notice that there was an issue. Bella wasn’t growing nearly as much as she ought to be at that age.
Bella’s parents didn’t do anything at the time, instead deciding just to keep an eye on the condition. Maybe she was a late sprouter, they thought. But that wasn’t the case, and she just didn’t seem to grow at all. That’s when they decided to take Bella to see a doctor. Perhaps they would be able to uncover why she was so small. But frustratingly enough, the symptoms left even the doctors and other physicians in the building scratching their heads. They had never seen anything like that before.
The doctors ordered a battery of tests to be carried out on the young girl, and it was eventually revealed that Bella was suffering from a condition known as Mercio syndrome, which pops up in around one in every 200,000 births. It affects bone growth and development, meaning that people suffering from it grow at an extremely slow rate. It also makes them very weak and prone to bone injuries. That’s why, by the age of 11, Bella relied on a wheelchair and crutches to get around.
Not only was this illness hard on Bella physically, but it also took a massive toll emotionally. At the age of 11, children should be happy, running around, having fun with their friends, going to school, learning all kinds of new and exciting things, and exploring who they are as a person and their place in this world. Poor Bella had none of that, and she just wished more than anything that she could be fixed and normal.
Doctors did come up with a few ideas to help her, though. They proposed several special kinds of surgery on her feet and hips that would maybe help her to grow and be a little more normal. But sadly, even after a whopping nine surgeries, she still remained very reliant on her wheelchair and crutches, increasingly so actually.
It seemed that as more and more time went by, Bella was losing vital strength in her legs. Unfortunately, Mercio syndrome is a progressive disorder that gets worse as time goes by. It is not a syndrome that can be cured, and even though the symptoms can be treated and mitigated as they come up, they are only temporary solutions.
Bella’s parents understood this all too well, and while it deeply worried, concerned, and upset them, they still tried to keep a brave face on things for the little girl. She didn’t need any added pressures in her life. But one thing that Bella’s parents could do was give her more independence. If they started to treat her a little more like an ordinary girl, perhaps she would feel happier and more like she fit in. That’s why they started volunteering at a dog training center nearby.
They were close enough to rush back home if needed, but it gave Bella, now a 13-year-old, the chance to have a little more independence. They couldn’t wrap her in cotton wool 24/7, no matter how much they wanted to. Bella’s parents loved animals, especially dogs, but the choice to go to the dog training center also had another perk: the facility trained Great Danes to become service dogs that could help those who had mobility impairments. These dogs usually go to veterans who have suffered injuries while serving their country, though on occasions, other people, including children, get the assistance of these gentle giants.
It was at the facility that Bella first met a Great Dane named George. He was a massive and impressive animal, who stood several feet tall. He was more than big enough to rest his plate-sized paws on a fully grown man’s shoulders if he jumped up.
But he was gentle, kind, and understanding too, and that’s why he and Bella hit it off from the moment they first came into contact with each other. On their first meeting, Bella, who was very taken with the giant canine, just sat with him for ages, talking to him and stroking him. Before anyone knew it, he had placed his head on her lap and was happily looking up at Bella as she spoke. Everyone could see that George and Bella were meant to be together.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair most of the time, Bella loved having George in her life, and it gave her a happiness that she very rarely felt. That’s why Bella’s mother and father eventually agreed to adopt George. At first, they took him home for a weekend at a time just to see if the dog would fit into their life and family dynamic. But despite his large size, he was barely noticeable; he was incredibly well-behaved. So before too long, they made the choice to move George in full time, much to their daughter’s delight. Now, Bella had someone with her at all times, whether it was at home, at school, or even at medical appointments.
For the next several months, they were inseparable, and they would be together, talking, playing, or even just cuddling up and watching TV. Bella’s condition didn’t seem to be affecting her mood as much anymore, and she seemed almost happy. To her parents, things couldn’t have been going any better.
Until one day, when things suddenly changed. Bella went through a particularly bad stage of her syndrome and was feeling really down about things. Her symptoms were very much affecting her, and she was finding it a struggle to even get out of bed.
She felt a lot of pain and discomfort whenever she moved, and understandably, this was really getting her down. She felt like the entire world was against her and like nothing mattered anymore. Her mother and father tried to cheer her up, but to no avail. Not even a favorite meal and TV show had even brought the slightest bit of happiness to Bella. She had even shut George out of her room. Her bad mood was really concerning her parents.
Days went by, and still, Bella seemed to be spiraling downhill. Her parents discussed what they should do – call the doctor, try to treat the symptoms themselves, or was it just better being a typical moody teenager? They just didn’t have the answers. They tried to remain understanding and sympathetic to their daughter, though. But after a long while, George got impatient and barged into her room. He was there to do a job, and he would do it whether Bella liked it or not. Besides, who was going to stop this massive dog from doing whatever he wanted?
Incredibly, as George approached the bed and let out a little bark, Bella smiled and reached out to pat his giant head. But her parents started to get tears in their eyes when they watched what happened next. Bella sat up and pivoted her body, seemingly in no pain at all. She placed her feet on the floor, all while stroking George. Her bad mood seemed to be gone, and she was ready to leave her room for the first time in days. Her mother started to enter the room to hand Bella her crutches, but her father stopped her and told her to wait and see what would happen.
What happened next was unforgettable. As if by some miracle, Bella stood up on her own two feet, assisted and stroked by a slightly slobbering, huge Great Dane, with only the slightest bit of assistance from her loyal companion. She walked across the room and then came to a stop as George excitedly ran around her. She laughed at the sight of her dog playing and bounding around. And all the while, both of Bella’s parents watched on with tears streaming down their faces.
She had walked on her own! From that point on, Bella seemed to become noticeably more mobile and independent. It was as if George had reminded her that life was fun and worth living, and even though she might not be the most healthy of teenage girls ever, she was still capable of having a good time. In fact, on several occasions, Bella’s mum even spotted the girl playing in the garden, assisted by crutches or her wheelchair, with George sitting several meters away and watching on like a guardian angel.
No, Bella would never be cured, but this was the next best thing, and a large part of that was thanks to George, the incredible huge service dog.
So now it’s over to you. What did you think of this incredible story? Have you ever heard of giant Great Danes being service dogs? How would you have reacted to seeing George encouraging Bella to walk? As always, we love to hear from you, so be sure to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section down below.”
