A 12-year-old who has been struggling with anxiety after her father was involved in a life-threatening accident burst into tears when she was surprised with a sausage dog puppy to comfort her.
For youngster Payton, from Folkston, Georgia, the last 12 months have been extremely difficult after her father, Ethan, was hit by a drunk driver while working in Atlanta last year.
Ethan suffered a traumatic brain injury, and for months, his family didn’t know if he would survive while he was on life support.
During his recovery, Ethan was moved to rehab in Jacksonville, Florida, with each change making things more difficult for Payton, who has always been a daddy’s girl, according to the family.
Before the accident, Payton was loving and outgoing, but afterward, she started suffering from anxiety and was extremely worried.
And so, to cheer her up, Ethan and mom Mandy, from Folkston, Georgia, decided to revisit a request Payton had been making since before the accident.
She had always wanted a sausage dog, so her parents contacted a friend who also happened to breed Weiner dogs, who said she would have a puppy ready around Payton’s birthday in August.
Having collected the dog, Mandy then purchased toys, treats and a bowl, which she put into a gift bag and presented to Payton on July 13 as an early birthday present.
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Opening each item, Payton was initially confused, but when everything clicked, the youngster could not contain her excitement, knowing what would come next.
She was then guided into another room, where she was given her puppy, Honey, to hold for the very first time, causing her to fight back tears.
Mandy said: “Payton is and always has been a huge daddy’s girl, and this last year has been hard for us, especially her.
“She has always been a very outgoing loving person, and this last year has cause her to start having bad anxiety attacks – she now worries about so much.
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“Almost two years ago she started begging for a weenie puppy and my husband and I were going to get one, but his accident happened, and it never happened.
“I felt so much joy watching her get excited and start crying, I too started crying.
“I know she needed a little joy in her life, and it made me so happy to be able to fulfill one of her dreams, owning a weenie puppy.”