When‬‭ Giza‬‭ was‬‭ born in 2012‬‭ she‬‭ was‬‭ admitted to‬‭ the‬‭ neonatal‬‭ intensive‬‭ care‬‭ unit‬‭ due‬‭ to‬‭ birth complications–a harbinger for the many health issues she would face in her childhood.‬ Tragically‬‭, before she even turned one,‬‭ Giza‬‭ was‬‭ diagnosed‬‭ with‬‭ bilateral‬‭ retinoblastoma, a cancer in the eyes.‬‭ Scans showed that this little baby girl had‬‭ eight‬‭ cancerous‬ tumors‬‭ in‬‭ her‬‭ eyes–five in‬‭ the‬‭ left‬‭ eye‬‭ and‬‭ three‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ right.‬‭ The‬‭ cancer‬‭ took‬‭ part‬‭ of‬‭ her‬‭ left‬‭ eye‬‭ from‬ the‬‭ inside‬‭ leaving‬‭ her‬‭ visually‬‭ impaired for life.‬‭

After undergoing chemotherapy,‬‭ cryotherapy,‬‭ and laser‬ surgeries, the‬‭ remaining three tumors‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ right‬‭ eye miraculously disappeared,‬‭ even‬‭ though‬ doctors‬‭ said‬‭ they‬‭ never‬‭ would.‬‭ She’s‬‭ considered‬‭ a‬‭ miracle‬‭ by‬‭ the‬‭ medical‬‭ profession‬‭, and has not had a reoccurrence since.

Although she has been blessed to not have to face cancer since she was very young, Giza does have constant mental and physical health issues as a result of her disease and treatment. In her short twelve years, Giza has been in and out of the hospital,‬‭ treated‬‭ for everything from‬ bronchial‬‭ pneumonia,‬‭ pink‬‭ eye,‬‭ viral‬‭ infections,‬‭ chronic‬‭ stomach‬‭ issues,‬‭ fevers,‬‭ colds,‬‭ dangerous ear‬‭ infections,‬‭ COVID (twice),‬‭ to retinal‬‭ chronic‬‭ headaches, and she‬‭ has dislocated‬‭ her‬‭ elbow‬‭ four‬‭ times‬‭ due‬‭ to‬‭ nursemaid's‬‭ elbow, or radial head subluxation.‬‭

Because‬‭ of‬‭ so‬‭ many‬‭ hospital‬‭ visits‬‭ and‬‭ tests,‬‭ Giza developed‬‭ magnified‬‭ anxiety/phobia and frequently suffers from‬‭ nightmares.‬‭ The‬‭ neurologist‬‭ prescribed‬‭ for‬‭ her‬‭ a‬‭ service‬ dog‬‭ to‬‭ help‬‭ with‬‭ these‬‭ mental health issues, as well as to help prevent her from falling due to her vision impairment.‬ Merlin’s‬‭ Kids‬‭, founded by Janice Wolfe, trained‬‭ Fluffy the dog for Giza.‬‭ She‬‭ is‬‭ a true‬ dog‬‭ whisperer‬‭ who‬‭ is‬‭ well‬‭ known‬‭ around‬‭ the‬‭ country‬‭ for‬‭ training‬‭ service dogs.‬‭ Janice‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ three-time‬‭ cancer‬ survivor‬‭ and‬‭ perfect‬‭ for‬‭ training‬‭ Fluffy‬‭ due‬‭ to‬‭ her‬‭ similar‬‭ background‬‭ and‬‭ knowing‬‭ the‬‭ residual‬ effects‬‭ of‬‭ cancer.‬

Fluffy‬‭ is‬‭ trained‬‭ to‬‭ calm‬‭ Giza during‬‭ her‬‭ nightmares, and to help her from falling out of‬‭ bed.‬‭ Fluffy guides‬‭ her‬‭ if‬ she’s‬‭ about‬‭ to‬‭ fall or bump‬‭ into‬‭ something.‬‭ If‬‭ she’s‬‭ anxious‬‭ he‬‭ helps‬‭‭ calm‬ Giza‭ down‬‭ by‬‭ putting‬‭ his‬ paw‬‭ on‬‭ her‬‭ when‬‭ detecting‬‭ higher levels of cortisol.‬‭ Fluffy was‬‭ a‬‭ rescue‬‭ who‬‭ was‬ abandoned‬‭ and‬‭ left‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ streets‬‭ in‬‭ a‬‭ shoe‬‭ box‬‭ with‬‭ his‬‭ siblings.‬‭ He‬‭ survived‬‭ surgery‬ for intestinal‬‭ issues.‬‭ He‬‭ also‬‭ has‬‭ a‬‭ little‬‭ bit‬‭ of‬‭ anxiety‬‭ and‬‭ so they‬‭ are‬‭ truly perfect‬‭ for‬ each‬‭ other!‬‭ They‬‭ are‬‭ quite‬‭ the‬‭ team, and he is invaluable to us as we navigate Giza's disabilities and mental health.‬‭ Giza's mom told us, "One‬‭ is‬‭ going‬‭ to‬‭ go‬‭ from‬‭ cancer‬‭ to‬‭ champion,‬‭ and‬‭ the‬ other‬‭ from‬‭ rescue‬‭ to‬‭ defender!‬"

Giza's mom Rebecca is a single‬‭ parent and army‬‭ veteran.‬‭ Unfortunately, Rebecca has to miss‬‭ work‬‭ often‬‭ to‬‭ take‬‭ care‬‭ of‬‭ Giza’s‬‭ needs‬‭ and‬‭ bring her to doctor‬‭ visits‬ and‬‭ when‬‭ she‬‭ is‬‭ ill.‬‭ Rebecca was‬‭ fired‬‭ from‬‭ two‬‭ jobs‬‭ for‬‭ missing‬‭ too much work to care for her daughter.‬‭ She had to take a commission-only‬‭ job‬‭ to‬ stay‬‭ at‬‭ home‬‭ for‬‭ flexibility.‬‭ It’s‬‭ very‬‭ difficult‬‭ to‬‭ come‬‭ up‬‭ with‬‭ money‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ dog’s‬‭ continual‬‭ training‬‭ and‬‭ upkeep, but the love for her daughter is most important and so they make necessary sacrifices.

Despite‬‭ Giza’s‬‭ obstacles‬‭ and‬‭ trickling‬‭ cancer‬‭ effects,‬‭ she’s‬‭ achieved‬‭ great‬‭ accomplishments,‬‭ such‬ as‬‭ receiving‬‭ the‬‭ Presidential‬‭ Volunteer‬‭ Service‬‭ Medal,‬‭ honor‬‭ roll‬‭ at‬‭ school,‬‭ and‬‭ becoming‬‭ the‬ 2024‬‭ Veterans‬‭ of‬‭ Foreign‬‭ Wars‬‭ post2648,‬‭ Poppy‬‭ Girl.‬‭ She‬‭ dances,‬‭ sings,‬‭ and‬‭ participates‬‭ in‬ youth‬‭ shooting‬‭ sports‬‭ with‬‭ 4-H‬‭, as‬‭ well‬‭ as‬‭ in‬‭ recitals,‬‭ talent‬‭ shows, and‬‭ school‬‭ plays.‬‭ Giza‬‭ hopes‬‭ to‬‭ become‬‭ a‬‭ veterinarian‬‭ one‬‭ day‬‭ and‬‭ open an‬ animal‬‭ sanctuary.‬

We were able to meet this amazing mother-daughter-doggy trio at our Positively Healing Retreat at Medomak Family Camp in 2024. They were all smiles when they pulled in after an 8-hour drive from New Jersey. We were amazed at how kind and friendly and empathetic Giza was when meeting new friends. After all they've been through, they live life knowing that each moment counts. In‬‭ Giza’s‬ own‬‭ words,‬‭ “The‬‭ only‬‭ bullet‬‭ I‬‭ faced‬‭ was‬‭ the‬‭ one‬‭ I‬‭ dodged.” And her mom feels fortunate in that, "God’s‬‭ hands‬‭ have‬‭ truly‬‭ been‬‭ on‬‭ her‬, and a‬‭ world‬‭ of‬‭ opportunity‬‭ awaits‬‭ her.‬‭"