GreenTeaChloe
Active member
A cancer-stricken pet dog has touched hundreds of thousands of hearts online after clinging to life for one last joyful reunion with its sailor owner.
[video=youtube;LHnFwr01_kM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnFwr01_kM[/video]
Mr Ralston's wife, Jennifer, explained in a description of the video that Kermie was diagnosed with an oral melanoma a month after her husband went overseas.
Kermie was given just two to three months to live and its despairing family believed it would not see its beloved owner again.
"We were devastated, to say the least," Mrs Ralston wrote."Kermie was our first child, and we did not think Eric would ever get to see her again.
But the tough labrador beagle cross hung on for several more months and its family began preparing it special meals and hand-feeding it to keep its strength up. They were growing hopeful that Kermie might just make it to see Mr Ralston one more time.
Then, just 12 days before Mr Ralston was due to return home in November, his posting was extended indefinitely. But again Kermie pulled through and a few days before Christmas, Mr Ralston finally came home.
After the reunion, Kermie appeared to turn a corner and its health seemed to improve dramatically, Mrs Ralston said.
"His return was some sort of magic pill for her. She began eating and drinking again, without struggle! Watching the homecoming video, you cannot even see the struggles of the previous months."
But the plucky dog couldn't hold on forever and, by February, the Ralston's were back to hand-feeding Kermie.
"When good days became good hours we knew it was time," Mrs Ralston said, adding that they were forced to put their beloved pet down on February 22.
Kermie died, she said, surrounded by all of its human family.
[video=youtube;LHnFwr01_kM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnFwr01_kM[/video]
Mr Ralston's wife, Jennifer, explained in a description of the video that Kermie was diagnosed with an oral melanoma a month after her husband went overseas.
Kermie was given just two to three months to live and its despairing family believed it would not see its beloved owner again.
"We were devastated, to say the least," Mrs Ralston wrote."Kermie was our first child, and we did not think Eric would ever get to see her again.
But the tough labrador beagle cross hung on for several more months and its family began preparing it special meals and hand-feeding it to keep its strength up. They were growing hopeful that Kermie might just make it to see Mr Ralston one more time.
Then, just 12 days before Mr Ralston was due to return home in November, his posting was extended indefinitely. But again Kermie pulled through and a few days before Christmas, Mr Ralston finally came home.
After the reunion, Kermie appeared to turn a corner and its health seemed to improve dramatically, Mrs Ralston said.
"His return was some sort of magic pill for her. She began eating and drinking again, without struggle! Watching the homecoming video, you cannot even see the struggles of the previous months."
But the plucky dog couldn't hold on forever and, by February, the Ralston's were back to hand-feeding Kermie.
"When good days became good hours we knew it was time," Mrs Ralston said, adding that they were forced to put their beloved pet down on February 22.
Kermie died, she said, surrounded by all of its human family.
