As a small French Bulldog puppy from Gloucester, MA, Ivy entered the lives of Maureen and Chris Harrington as a birthday present for Chris’s 30th birthday. Never did they imagine the love and joy that their new puppy would bring into their lives, and they would soon come to find out that she would also teach them some of the most important lessons in life.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) happens when the discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column become displaced and bulge out into the spinal cord. These discs pressed on the nerves that ran through Ivy’s spinal cord and caused her great pain, and resulted in her experiencing nerve damage and paralysis in both of her hind legs.

While Ivy’s parents were devastated to hear this news about their sweet Ivy, they were ready to handle all of the extra care she needed. They tried a variety of different treatments such as laser therapy, acupuncture (yes, there is such a thing as acupuncture for dogs!), and water therapy to see if there was any potential of Ivy regaining movement in her legs. She had always been the type of puppy who loved to play and zoom around, so Maureen and Chris tried everything they could to help her continue to do that with ease. Ivy’s parents soon came to realize that Ivy’s happy personality never changed despite not being able to use her hind legs and that she was doing just fine zooming around and playing using her front legs and wheelchair. Ivy never let her paralysis hold her back from her happiness or from living her life to the absolute fullest, which taught her parents an incredible lesson — although life comes with setbacks, the only thing that matters is how we respond to those setbacks. Ivy found her inner strength and taught herself how to live her best life despite her paralysis.