An animal-loving seven-year-old girl named Emma who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour has received tens of thousands of adorable dog photos from well-wishers hoping to put a smile on her face.
Advert
Emma's father Geoffrey Mertens started a GoFundMe campaign to cover her treatment expenses after she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
On the fundraising page, Geoffrey wrote: "7 year old Emma is fighting a very rare and inoperable brain tumor called DIPG. Last weekend she was having a normal weekend playing with friends, playing in the snow, and wrestling with her brothers.
"On Sunday though, she got a headache and started having flu like symptoms. By Wednesday, she was rushed into surgery to reduce swelling on the brain.
"She has had a second surgery now and is preparing for 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy. She is a fighter and she and her family along with everyone on Team Emma are here to fight for her."
Advert
As well as donating over £98,000 ($130,000) well-wishers began to flood the family with photos of cute pups to cheer up Wisconsin-based Emma, after learning from a Facebook post that the child loves dogs.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the family have received over 50,000 photos from 20 different countries, to the extent that Emma's dad needs to take a truck to pick up the photos and letters every time he empties their PO Box.
Advert
The family are now urging people to post their dog photos directly to their Facebook page as the mountain of mail is simply overwhelming. So far, thousands have taken to Facebook to post adorable photos of their pups.
Thanks to the kindness of well-wishers, Emma has been able to help as a guest veterinarian at an animal hospital, got to meet a bunch of police dogs from 35 different police departments, and was also sent a certificate from the Toronto Zoo showing that she has adopted an arctic wolf. She has also been sent hundreds of gifts.
Advert
Geoff regularly updates well-wishers on the family's Caring Bridge page. He recently wrote of all the dog pictures: "Many pictures of puppies really made her laugh or smile. Thank you to everyone who is trying to put a smile on her face, we appreciate the gesture."
To share your photos of your cute dog, send them to Emma Mertens, P.O. Box 230, Hartland, WI 53029, visit the family's Facebook page or email them to [email protected]. You can also donate here.
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Team EmmaTopics: Real