Child Cancer Survivor Allison Winn Raises Funds for Therapy Dogs for Sick Kids

After cancer survivor Allison Winn got a therapy dog, she made it her mission to raise money to help other kids with cancer get their very own therapy dogs.

By . Posted on October 26 2009

Image: iStockphoto

A hug from a furry friend can always make you feel better.

No one knows this better than Allison Winn, a nine-year-old girl from Denver. When she was just seven years old, Allison was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and her carefree life as she knew it was over. She soon underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and then began a grueling regiment of radiation treatments and chemotherapy, leaving her weak and ill.

One of Allison’s doctors had a suggestion to cheer the child up: a therapy dog. At the nearby Denver Women’s Correctional Facility, prisoners have trained dogs specifically to assist people with disabilities and illnesses, and Allison seemed like a perfect candidate to be partnered with one of the program’s graduates. Not long after her family sent in an application, Allison was paired with a beautiful Bichon Frisé, who she named Coco.

“She made me feel better,” Allison told the Denver Post. So, when Allison finally began to feel like her old self again this spring, she made it her mission to help other children with cancer get support from their very own therapy dogs.

All summer long, Allison baked thousands of dog biscuits from her own special recipe, and sold them at a stand in front of her house and in local shops. She raised more than a thousand dollars, which is enough to pay for three therapy dogs for other children.

Last Tuesday, Allison and her mother drove back to the correctional facility to watch as another child received Allison’s gift: two-year-old Krysta Mullen, who is legally blind because of a brain tumor that had recently been removed, was able to choose from three available dogs waiting there. The toddler sniffed around and stroked their fur before choosing a black Labrador named Lucky Bug.

Krysta’s mother, Shanell Mullen, was amazed by Allison’s generosity. “I just think that is an awesome little girl,” she said as she watched her daughter bond with her new dog.

Allison is still planning to pay for two other children to receive their own therapy dogs with her leftover money, but she’s not stopping there: she’s already working on her next giant batch of biscuits.

Filed under: Animals and Pets, Heroes,

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