A terminally ill Wisconsin girl who loves dogs experienced a dream come true on Saturday after nearly 40 police departments and dozens of K9 officers lined up outside her home to pay her a visit.
Emma Mertens, a seven-year-old diagnosed with a rare inoperable brain tumor in January, got to see dozens of real-life canines after police officers and K9 officers visited her home on Saturday morning.
“Today, just a few of us (roughly 40) stopped by to see Emma,” the Hartford Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. “She had no idea we were coming so she was VERY excited. What an amazing and strong little girl. It was such a great morning.”
Doctors diagnosed Emma with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare inoperable brain tumor, on January 7, WITI reported.
Despite the grim prognosis from doctors, Emma decided to stay positive. Shortly after receiving the diagnosis, Emma asked if she could receive photos of dogs to lift her spirits while undergoing treatment.
The Wisconsin Humane Society responded to the girl’s request, asking Facebook users to post their “pup pics” in the comments to brighten Emma’s day.
The humane society’s Facebook post went viral, receiving more than 180,000 comments and 21,000 likes since February 27. As of Monday morning, the post had been shared more than 18,000 times.
Emma’s family, who created a Facebook page to support Emma through her illness, thanked the police departments for organizing the event and everyone who cheered her up.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to organize and participate in this. Emma is still all smiles! Over 35 different departments and many more K9s and officers,” her family wrote.
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