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Little girl battling brain tumor receives thousands of dog photos

Posted at 1:31 PM, Feb 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-28 13:31:24-05

MILWAUKEE —  A seven-year-old Wisconsin girl fighting an inoperable brain tumor is receiving thousands of photos of dogs in an effort to cheer her up.

Seven-year-old Emma Mertens was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called DIPG in January, and is undergoing radiation treatment, Good Morning America reports.

To help put a smile on her face through her treatments, family and friends have been sending letters to Emma, who absolutely loves dogs.

The Wisconsin Humane Society also helped spread the word, according to WITI.

Their caption reads, Emma was “recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Since she’s an avid animal lover, her family is collecting dog photos to brighten her spirits during treatment. Do you have any pup pics to share?”

As of Thursday morning, the Facebook post has racked up more than 8,000 shares, 14,000 reactions and 67,000 comments

“We’re getting about 2,800 emails each hour and mail by the truckload,” Emma’s father Geoff told  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I think that says a lot about dog lovers, that they want to take care of more than just themselves.”

A GoFundMe set-up to help cover the Emma’s medical expenses has almost reached its $100,000 goal.

To share your dog pictures with Emma, send them to:

Emma Mertens
P.O. Box 230
Hartland, WI 53209

or

email emmalovesdogs7@gmail.com