Dogs are often used for medical purposes such as sniffing out cancerous tumors. They are good at it too, mainly because a dog’s nose is incredibly powerful. While these tumor sniffing dogs are professionally trained, sometimes you’ll hear stories from people sharing how their dog at home somehow managed to alert them to a tumor. I remember once watching a TV program where a woman recounted her story of how her dog kept sniffing under her armpit only to find out later at the doctor’s that she had lymphoma. These stories of regular dogs becoming medical heroes can happen, but it’s really rare. And for one pup Daisy, her discovery of her owner’s cancer was entirely accidental.
The adorable little dog began her journey as a gift to Amanda Tasca from her husband, Steve. Like all dogs, Daisy absolutely loves her owner. And one day when the little pup went to jump up and cuddle with her owner, she accidentally hit her owner’s chest. That is when Amanda noted that one spot was unusually sore. At first, she didn’t think much of the incident. As Tap Into Waynereported, Amanda had previously been fibrocystic breast tissue meaning that her chest sometimes will develop tissue often feels “lumpy or tender.” Even though she didn’t give it much of a second thought, Amanda still brought up the incident when she went for a check-up several weeks later with her doctor.
As it turned out, Amanda had a cancerous lump the size of a grape. She immediately told the news to her sister, Amy Noisi, who decided that she needed to check her own breasts for any suspicious lumps. As Amy recalled, “As soon as I found out that Amanda’s lump was cancerous, I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I thought: ‘I have it, too.’”
And on Thanksgiving, Amy gave herself an at-home exam. That is when she felt like there was something hard in her right breast. Amy immediately went to the doctor with her concerns. Her fears were confirmed that the radiologist showed her the results, which the medical professional worried was cancer.
Amanda recounted to Eyewitness News ABC 7 how she and her sister compared lump stories. According to Amanda, her own lump was the size of a grape, while Amy’s was more like a clementine – something that shocked Amanda.
The two sisters, who were both in their 30s, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Amy received further devastating news when she was told that hers had spread to the lymph nodes. Together, the sisters faced the battle against cancer, with each undergoing a double mastectomy. As Eyewitness News reported, Amy received further chemotherapy and radiation treatments as well.
But thankfully, the two sisters survived, and they are now cancer-free – something that Amanda credits to her pup, Daisy. Had it not been for Daisy’s accidentally smashing of her chest, she never would have gone and gotten checked. As Amanda stated, “I 100% know it was her. And throughout my entire recovery, she’s never left my side.”
Sometimes things are just meant to be and we’re so happy that these two sisters’ lives were saved by an adorable pup’s misstep.
