"Jill ..." screamed Ben. "Jill, come over here," he cried once again. "What's the matter, hun? You are scaring me!" replied Jill, frantic and breathless. Ben and Jill went on a hike recently and had what they thought would be a nice picture to remember that day.
However, when they reached home and saw those shots, they couldn’t believe their eyes! When Ben's wife saw the photo, she couldn't help but burst into tears. "That just can't be true..." she whispered, feeling her hands trembling.
School Sweethearts
When the picture was clicked, Ben was 36-year-old and Jill was 34. They shared most of their lives together since they were high-school sweethearts.
At a very young age, they fell in love with each other and stuck together ever since! They were couple goals for most of their relatives and friends. Apart from loving each other, they also shared one mutual interest, which, one day, will drastically change their lives...
Shared Love For Travelling
Travelling is what them close to each other in the first place. Both Ben and Jill felt particularly drawn to the Alaskan mountains for their profound natural beauty.
The young couple found themselves travelling to this part of the world on an annual basis. Eight years before the ‘special picture’ was clicked, Ben and Jill were on one such voyage. Unfortunately, something terrible happened at that time, and they had to call off their trip...
Intense Stomach Pain
Jill started experiencing excruciating pain in her stomach which she had never felt before. Without wasting any time, Ben called off the trip and decided to head straight towards their hometown.
Once they landed, Ben didn’t waste one second and took Jill to the hospital. On their way, Jill was crying herself to death because she hadn’t felt that agonized ever!
The Waiting Game
While the doctors diagnosed what had happened to Jill, Ben patiently waited outside, After a couple of hours had passed and there wasn’t any word from the doctor, Ben started growing impatient. He reached out to the receptionist to get an update but she didn’t have any information either.
At this very moment, the doctor entered the scene with a rather confusing look. What had happened to Jill?
Good News, Bad News
Ben soon got to know that Jill was three months pregnant. The abdominal pain that she experienced on the trip was because of the growing fetus.
Their moment of happiness was soon shattered by a bad news. They were giving birth to a small miracle but unfortunately, their happiness didn’t last long.
Could Lose Her Vision
Apart from Jill’s pregnancy, the doctors had some alarming news too. While the baby was perfectly healthy, the same couldn’t be said about Jill. She had a big lump on her spine. Unfortunately, the doctors discovered it during the ultrasound but before that, both Ben and Jill were completely unaware of it.
Although the lump was benign, it posed a serious threat to Jill. The doctors said that with Jill’s uterus expanding during the pregnancy, the lump could damage some important nerves. The doctors also mentioned that her pregnancy could ultimately cause Jill to go blind.
The Dilemma
After hearing these updates, Ben and Jill went home. It was now time to put their heads together and make an important decision. They had a very crucial dilemma right in front of them – should Jill give birth to her child?
To make matters worse, the tumor was growing in size with each passing day. Would they terminate the pregnancy or would Jill risk not being able to see again?
The Decision
After having countless discussions with Ben, Jill finally made a decision. She immediately told Ben to call the hospital and inform the doctors as well.
Jill had this stark realization that her son’s life was far more important than her own sight. It was decided then that Jill would continue with her pregnancy, despite the risk of her losing vision completely.
The Inevitable Caught Up With Them
This decision had its own repercussions. In the months that followed, Jill started losing her vision gradually. At first, she could see enough to make her way around the house but things soon started getting worse.
As time passed, the young mother was at risk of a terrible slip that could also terminate her pregnancy. Despite being extremely cautious, Jill had a terrible fall in the kitchen. Fortunately, their child was safe.
A Life-Changing Decision
Things started looking even more bleak as days passed and Jill’s vision suffered terribly. This terrible incident forced Ben and Jill to make a life-changing decision.
To help Jill through this risky pregnancy, she and Ben decided to welcome a new member in their family. They adopted an old guide dog named Bruno.
Bruno, The Guide Dog!
The bright and lovely golden retriever helped Jill as her sight got worsened with each passing day. Bruno helped Jill in safely navigating around the house.
Bruno’s responsibility was to make sure that there were no more such nasty falls that could risk Jill and the unborn child’s life. Bruno was proving to be a worthy companion but his role didn’t end here.
About Time!
Soon, Jill went into labour. While Ben and Bruno were outside, they heard Jill shout. Ben knew that it was time to go to the hospital. He took Bruno with him as well.
As Jill went inside the operation theatre, Ben sat outside. This time around, he wasn’t alone to deal with the anomalies as he had a furry friend with him. Bruno kept him company and made sure that Ben doesn’t lose his calm.
Welcoming A New Member
Six hours had passed since Jill was admitted in the hospital. The doctors finally came out and congratulated Ben on his perfectly healthy child. They had a baby boy!
Both Ben and Jill were overjoyed by the fact that their happy family was now truly complete. They had no idea that they still had one terrible news to deal with.
Another Good News
As it turned out, the doctor had some more news in store for the couple. The doctor informed that the labor caused the uterus to contract which relieved the pressure from the tumor.
As a result, her vision was restored and now, she could see everything clearly. The doctors were quick to act and surgically removed the tumor. Just when Ben and Jill started to celebrate, something terrible happened!
Bruno Collapses
Bruno also joined in on their excitement with a loud bark! But right after that, Bruno collapsed on the floor. The couple knew that it wasn’t a happy bark and that Bruno himself was suffering.
They couldn’t decipher what had happened to him. But after that, the doctor told them the truth.
The Old. Good Dog
The doctor asked Ben and Jill whether Bruno was too old to which they replied in affirmation. The doctor informed the couple that Bruno had sadly passed away.
As quickly and miraculously they welcomed a new life in their lives, their good old friend had bid them goodbye.
The Loss
The doctor then told the distraught couple that guide dogs are very loyal to their masters. And that was the same case with Bruno. He further explained that Bruno must have pushed himself to stick around to support the family, despite being in pain himself.
Ben and Jill carried on with their tradition to explore the Alaskan mountains. The family dedicated their trip to Bruno, the loyal guide dog.
Picture-Worthy Moments
This time, Ben and Jill decided to take their son and daughter along with them. During their trip to explore the Alaskan mountains, they had some great picture-worthy moments with gorgeous backdrops.
This long journey was proving to be full of adventures. At one point, they asked one fellow traveller to click their picture. Ben and Jill had no idea that this picture would turn out to be truly special.
A Remarkable Story
Their fellow traveller did exactly what he was asked to do. He clicked a nice picture of Ben’s family with a stunning landscape behind.
When Ben and Jill reached home and started going through the pictures, they noticed something in that particular photo. The special photo had a remarkable story behind it. One that harked back to their yesteryears!
One Last Miracle
The good, old dog had made an appearance in their photo as he was tucked away into the mountain landscape. It was as if Bruno himself was giving a sign - an emotional moment for the whole family.
"It was no less than a miracle," said Ben. "It was magical. I know that wherever he is, Bruno will always be our guiding angel, whether in life or death!" concluded Jill.