Service dogs are becoming more and more popular in this day and age and are used to help out with a range of different conditions, including vision and hearing impairment, anxiety, diabetes, and complexes such as autism. These Good Boys devote their lives to providing care for their owners — and let’s face it, a dog makes the best companion.
So when seven-year-old Meghan Weingarth was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, her service dog was more than just her companion – he had the ability to save her life!
Meghan lives in Suwanee, Georgia with her brother, sister, and her mum and dad Jennifer and Andrew. When she was just four months old, the doctors gave her a frightening diagnosis: she had tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare, multi-system genetic disease that causes benign tumors to grow on the brain and other vital organs.
Her family was devastated, but Meghan was a little fighter.
At three years old, another problem surfaced. Meghan was found to have a nut allergy. This meant that the brave little girl was at risk of having a severe allergic reaction if she ate anything containing nuts, resulting in a lot of anxiety for her parents.
At seven years old, Meghan’s mom and dad decided that Meghan deserved a friend that would help her with her diagnoses – someone that would make her life less difficult and welcome in a lot more smiles.
They decided to look into getting a service dog for Meghan, and not only would she be there to provide emotional support, but she would also help to control her violent seizures. Jennifer and Andrew knew that they would worry less if their little girl had a companion with her at school and in the middle of the night.
There was one hold up in their plan, though. Service dogs weren’t covered by their insurance, and they were a lot of money. But the support they received from family, friends, and Meghan’s Girl Scout troop was incredible.
Everybody chipped together to raise money, with the Girl Scout troop organizing a garage sale which they adorably named named “Meghan’s Miracle,” and the couple’s friends hosting a jewelry party and a lemonade stand.
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Meghan’s peers, she was finally able to pick up her very own service dog!
She named her “Pinkalicious LilyBelle,” which we think is a truly brilliant name. But to make things a little easier, the pooch goes by the name LilyBelle for short.
Since LilyBelle was still a puppy, the Goldendoodle stayed with her trainer at Georgia K9 Academy full-time for a while – but she visited Meghan every weekend and often accompanied her to her hospital appointments. Within no time, their bond had grown.
In a turn for the worst, the brave little girl was hospitalized with pneumonia for fifteen days. But with LiyBelle by her side, Meghan knew she was going to be okay.
After Meghan left the hospital, the sweet pooch moved in with the family full-time.
As well as keeping her calm whilst having her blood drawn, LilyBelle has a truly special talent. She has been trained to sniff out peanuts and almonds in Meghan’s food and would raise her paw if she detected anything. In other words, she’s able to save her life!
LilyBelle has been a blessing for the whole family, with Meghan saying that she is ‘so cute’ and makes her happy. Aw!
“Meghan was very happy and excited to have Lily as her special dog. The bond was instantaneous and beautiful. Lily definitely knows that Meghan is her person,” Jennifer told Suwanee Magazine. “It is difficult to find the words to really explain it, but Meghan is more at ease when Lily is around. Meghan has more tolerance for medical tests and appointments. (Meghan’s) anxiety level is lower when Lily is with her.”
We’re truly grateful that these heroic service dogs exist, and we wish Meghan the best of luck for the future!
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