Boy Who Had Heart Surgery At Boston Children's Hospital Overjoyed To Get His Own Therapy Puppy

BOSTON (CBS) – A Missouri family is entering 2020 with a new family member and a renewed sense of hope. Last summer after the second of three open-heart surgeries at Boston Children's Hospital, 2-year-old Truett Palmer met Zuri – a golden doodle therapy dog.

It was love at first sight, and his parents knew they needed to adopt a therapy dog to help Truett recover. A breeder they found on Facebook even donated the dog and after a nine-hour trip, Zada Grace arrived just in time for a Christmas surprise.

"They were so excited when she came out of the box," Truett's mom Danielle said. "Every morning when he wakes up he is ready to feed her. It's just been an incredible blessing to our family."

Truett's doctors at Children's say he's doing well with no signs that his body is rejecting the heart transplant.