BE SO SURPRISED WHEN THEY SEE THOSE BIKES. BOY. HEY, A DOG IS A MAN’S BEST FRIEND. EVEN IN UNEXPECTED PLACES. WHEN A YORK COUNTY MAN SERVING OVERSEAS IN THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL GUARD RECEIVED THE NEWS THAT HE HAD CANCER, A 20 YEARS OLD, HIS MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT ABOUT HIMSELF, BUT ABOUT A FURRY FRIEND THAT HE LEFT BEHIND. NEWS EIGHT’S BAYLEE MARTIN HAS THE STORY OF THEIR HEARTWARMING REUNION ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. U.S. ARMY SERGEANT STORMY FULLER SMITH IS A 21 YEAR OLD FROM HANOVER WHO WAS SERVING OVERSEAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. I WANTED TO BE IN THE MILITARY AND THEN HE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. I WANT TO BE IN THE MILITARY, AND HE. HE DID IT AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS OF SERVICE, STORMY STARTED FEELING PAIN IN HIS KNEE. DOCTORS AT WALTER REED DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A TUMOR. BONE CANCER. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY PUT ON CHEMOTHERAPY. HOWEVER, HIS MOTHER SAYS STORMY ONLY HAD ONE WORRY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE U.S. THAT THEY HAD RESCUED SOME PUPPIES THAT WERE HIDING IN A BUNKER. I KNEW IF THERE WAS SOME WAY THAT HE WAS GOING TO GET ONE OF THOSE PUPPIES HOME, THAT WE’D BE HAVING A PUPPY COME TO OUR HOUSE. THEY WERE LIKELY NOT TO SURVIVE MUCH LONGER, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY FELT THAT IT WAS THEIR MISSION TO GET THESE PUPPIES RESCUED. PAWS OF WAR’S WAR TORN DOGS AND CATS PROGRAM TAKES ANIMALS OVERSEAS AND REUNITES THEM WITH THE SOLDIERS WHO RESCUED THEM. STORMY RESCUED JASMINE AND THEIR BOND WAS UNBREAKABLE. HIS MOM, WHO TOLD US EVERYTHING THAT STORMY WAS GOING THROUGH, AND AT THAT MOMENT, IT JUST BECAME, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT JASMINE GOT TO STORMY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. FAST FORWARD TO STORMY’S BIRTHDAY, WHERE HE GOT THE GIFT THAT WILL KEEP ON GIVING. THEY ESCORTED THE PUPPY, JASMINE TO OUR HOUSE. PAWS OF WAR GOT THE WELCOME HOME SIGN IN THE FRONT YARD. IT WAS THE ENTIRE TOWN COMING TOGETHER. THE COLOR GUARD WAS THERE AND GAVE US THIS INCREDIBLE MOTORCYCLE ESCORT. HE HAD NO IDEA IF SHE WAS GOING TO BE SAVED FROM OVERSEAS. KNOWING THAT WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO JUST BRING THIS ALL TOGETHER. THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE. JASMINE’S JOURNEY WILL TAKE HER ALL THE WAY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST HERE TO MASON-DIXON CANINE, WHERE SHE’LL BE TRAINING FOR THE NEXT 4 TO 6 WEEKS TO BE REUNITED WITH STORMY. NOW, WHEN HE COMES HOME, HE’LL HAVE JASMINE THERE. STORMY IS HAVING SURGERY THIS WEEK TO HOPEFULLY REMOVE HIS CANCER AND GET ONE STEP CLOSER TO CUDDLING UP WITH JASMINE IN RECOVERY. HE WAS THERE TO HELP HER, AND I REALLY FEEL THAT SHE’S GOING TO BE HERE TO HELP HIM IN YORK COUNTY. BAILEY MARTIN WGAL NEWS EIGHT. WOW, HOW HARD IS THAT? WHEN THEY FINALLY GET TO BE OH MY GOSH, THAT’S GREAT. WHAT A GREAT STORY. BUT I LOVED HOW SHE WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, HE HELPED HER AND NOW SHE’S NOW SHE’S HELPING HIM. AND HE WORRIED ABOUT HER, YOU KNOW
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News We Love: Pennsylvania soldier living with cancer reunites with puppy he rescued overseas
‘He was there to help her. And I really feel that she’s going to be here to help him.’
U.S. Army Sgt. Stormy Fuller Smith, a 21-year-old from Hanover, Pennsylvania, has reunited with a puppy he rescued while serving overseas in the Middle East, as he lives with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.After experiencing knee pain during his service, doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center diagnosed him with the disease, leading to immediate chemotherapy treatment. Despite his health challenges, Stormy’s primary concern was for Jasmine, a puppy he rescued from a bunker, fearing she might not survive much longer.Stormy’s mother, Shannon Boyer, said, “This kid’s got a big heart. I knew if there was some way that he was going to get one of those puppies home, that we’d be having a puppy come to our house.”Paws of War Paws of War’s “War Torn Dogs and Cats” program takes animals that are rescued overseas and brings them back to the soldiers who saved them.Stormy’s bond with Jasmine was described as unbreakable, and the organization wanted to do anything they could to reunite them.”Stormy’s mom told us everything that Stormy was going through. And at that moment, it just became the entire organization’s mission to make sure that Jasmine got to Stormy as quickly as possible,” said Niki Dawson, from Paws of War.Emotional reunionFor Stormy’s birthday, Jasmine was escorted to his home in Hanover, with a welcome home sign in the front yard, and the entire town together to celebrate.”It was the entire town coming together,” Dawson said. “The color guard was there and gave us this incredible motorcycle escort. He had no idea if she was going to be saved from overseas. And that was his wish. And that was our mission and goal. Knowing that we were finally able to just bring this all together, there was not a dry eye in the house.”Stormy is scheduled for surgery this week to remove his cancer and get closer to recovery, with Jasmine by his side.”He was there to help her. And I really feel that she’s going to be here to help him,” his mother said.It costs up to $10,000 to transport a rescue animal overseas to the United States. Support for Paws of War can be found here.
U.S. Army Sgt. Stormy Fuller Smith, a 21-year-old from Hanover, Pennsylvania, has reunited with a puppy he rescued while serving overseas in the Middle East, as he lives with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
After experiencing knee pain during his service, doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center diagnosed him with the disease, leading to immediate chemotherapy treatment.
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Despite his health challenges, Stormy’s primary concern was for Jasmine, a puppy he rescued from a bunker, fearing she might not survive much longer.
Stormy’s mother, Shannon Boyer, said, “This kid’s got a big heart. I knew if there was some way that he was going to get one of those puppies home, that we’d be having a puppy come to our house.”
Paws of War
Paws of War’s “War Torn Dogs and Cats” program takes animals that are rescued overseas and brings them back to the soldiers who saved them.
Stormy’s bond with Jasmine was described as unbreakable, and the organization wanted to do anything they could to reunite them.
“Stormy’s mom told us everything that Stormy was going through. And at that moment, it just became the entire organization’s mission to make sure that Jasmine got to Stormy as quickly as possible,” said Niki Dawson, from Paws of War.
Emotional reunion
For Stormy’s birthday, Jasmine was escorted to his home in Hanover, with a welcome home sign in the front yard, and the entire town together to celebrate.
“It was the entire town coming together,” Dawson said. “The color guard was there and gave us this incredible motorcycle escort. He had no idea if she was going to be saved from overseas. And that was his wish. And that was our mission and goal. Knowing that we were finally able to just bring this all together, there was not a dry eye in the house.”
Stormy is scheduled for surgery this week to remove his cancer and get closer to recovery, with Jasmine by his side.
“He was there to help her. And I really feel that she’s going to be here to help him,” his mother said.
It costs up to $10,000 to transport a rescue animal overseas to the United States. Support for Paws of War can be found here.
