Paralyzed Girl Meets Her New Golden Retriever Service Dog For The First Time



On June 7, Gayrene Meade received a heartbreaking call that her mom, daughter and uncle had been in a head-on collision.

Her uncle, Kenneth Graden, sadly died from his injuries. Her mother, Tanya, shattered her knee, and her daughter, Memphis Rose, suffered a punctured lung, a fractured and displaced neck, and a fractured spine.

6-year-old Memphis went into cardiac arrest, couldn’t move, and was not breathing for nearly three minutes. A doctor started CPR on the scene until air ambulance rushed her to the hospital.


Unfortunately, she may never recover from her spinal injury and it is likely that she will remain paralyzed. She underwent spinal surgery and a tracheotomy, and remains in a wheelchair since she is unable to walk.

Memphis had always wanted a dog and soon, her dream would come true.

Lori Griffith, founder of Chasin a Dream Foundation, which provides assistance to children with life-threatening diseases, introduced Memphis to a Golden Retriever named Juliet.

When Griffith heard that Memphis wanted a dog, she contacted her friends at Furry Friends Rescue Center and learned that they had a confident, personable puppy.

Juliet is now receiving training to be Memphis Rose’s service dog, which will take about a year.

When Memphis Rose and Juliet met for the first time outside of St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Floria, it was love at first sight.

“Juliet took one look at Memphis Rose in her wheelchair and jumped onto her lap licking her and cuddling,” Meade told People. “My daughter is a dog lover and wants to be a veterinarian. She was so happy to meet Juliet that she smiled brighter than I have ever seen, especially after learning that the loving puppy was in training to be her service dog. It was a magical moment for me after a horrific few weeks.”

Since then, the adorable duo have been able to see each other several times, and Juliet was even able to accompany Memphis on a flight.

This is definitely the start to a beautiful friendship!

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