Special Connection

    Orange County, CA - Matt and Simone Tipton were thrilled when their second baby was born - a sweet little girl! But both parents knew that the coming years would be a struggle. Their new baby, named Scarlette, had a big problem. Her left arm was huge, measuring almost three times the size of her right arm. After many tests, doctors diagnosed Scarlette with a type of cancer so rare that even they had never heard of it before!
    Over the next year, Scarlette underwent many surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. Finally, doctors removed her entire left arm. After weeks of recovery, the doctors announced that Scarlette was finally cancer-free! But Scarlette’s struggle is not over yet. Now two years old, she still has a lot of pain and must learn to live with one arm. To help her deal with her pain, Scarlette’s parents wanted to get her a little furry friend she could connect with.
    This past December, in a city in California, a little kitten was found with one front leg badly injured. The kitten was taken to an animal hospital where its leg was amputated. After it had  recovered, it was put up ​for adoption. When Scarlette’s parents heard about the kitten, they knew that it was the perfect pet for their little girl. Soon, Scarlette and the kitten, named Doc, met for the first time. "Owies," said Scarlette, pointing to Doc’s scar. "Yes," said her mother. "The kitten is hurting... just like you." The little girl nodded and put her hand on her own scars. Now, one month later, Scarlette and Doc are fast friends and are helping each other be brave as they learn to overcome their disabilities.

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