A LITTLE girl who had her left arm amputated as a result of cancer, has found a friend in three-legged kitten Doc.
Scarlette Tipton (2), from California, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer soon after she was born.
Her family said that Scarlette has a "vague diagnosis" of sarcoma called "undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma." As a result, she has had her arm, shoulder, clavical and scapula amputated.
“They also removed all the skin surrounding the left side of her torso and had to do skin grafts to cover the wound,” Scarlette’s family said.
“Doctors are saying that her case is so rare that books will be written about her!”
She has had more than 19 surgeries to date, sometimes as many as six in a single month.
The Tipton family have been on the lookout for a pet with similiar problems to Scarlette.
“We wanted a little kitten to have Scarlette grow up with, so she has something that’s just like her,” her mother Simone said.
On Christmas Eve, the Tiptons picked up Doc from a shelter. The kitten lost a paw when she tried to sleep under the bonnet of a car to stay warm.
“She did notice that Doc had staples on her side and said ‘owies’. I let her know that she had owies just like her, and she placed her hand on her side and just nodded. She recognizes that the cat has similar struggles as she does,” Simone said.
The Tipton family launched the fundraising campaign ‘Smiles for Scarlette’ when Scarlette was one. The appeal for financial support to enable them to comfortably take care of Scarlette has raised nearly $57,000 raised to date.
Although Scarlette's visits to the hospital remain frequent, a recent Facebook post shows the family having fun with Doc on New Year's Day.
We are so enjoying some snuggle time with our precious new addition! Everyone is taking to her just fine. She is an... Posted by Smiles For Scarlette on Friday, January 1, 2016
