'Life changing': 10-year-old with health issues who just lost her dog is given a puppy

After suffering through 28 surgeries and the recent loss of her dog, 10-year-old Kimberly Alvarez has endured far more than her share of pain.

On Tuesday, though, her tears fell from pure joy.

Kimberly and her Addison family were given a tiny Havanese-poodle mix puppy thanks to the generosity of a central Illinois breeder, Windy Acres Puppy Adoptions, and a caring neighbor who deflected all credit.

As Kimberly, who was born with severe scoliosis, gently held her new puppy outside her home, she was surrounded by family and friends who also couldn't help shedding a few tears.

"Every day she's talked about getting a new dog," said Kimberly's mother, Mayra Pasillas. "We're just so thankful."

Nancy Caruso, who lives down the block from Kimberly, has her own Havanese-poodle mix named Mimmo. When the Chihuahua owned by Kimberly's family was struck and killed by a car about six weeks ago, Kimberly began visiting Mimmo and wanting to see the dog more often.

"She's always telling her mom, 'Go see Mimmo, go see Mimmo,'" Caruso said. "She loves Mimmo so much. So I got a little brainstorm."

Caruso contacted Randall Mast at Windy Acres and arranged the free adoption. Mast said once a year he tries to give away one of his puppies, valued at $2,500, to someone deserving.

In addition to the puppy, Mast and his family gave Kimberly's family a dog bed, toys, food and treats.

"Our business is all about joy and making people happy, but this is next level," Mast said. "This is life-changing."

Without the many surgeries, her mom said, Kimberly's condition would cause her spine to collapse and crush her organs. She's been in and out of hospitals her entire life and still needs to travel once a year to Philadelphia to replace the titanium rods in her back.

Pasillas said Toy the Chihuahua meant the world to Kimberly and her 6-year-old brother, Justin. The neighbor dog, Mimmo, helped fill the void of Toy's loss, but Caruso wanted to do more.

When Kimberly was handed the puppy on Tuesday, Caruso told her, "Now you have your own Mimmo!"

You could see the wheels churning in Kimberly's mind as she tried to think of a name for the puppy. But that decision could wait until later.

At that moment, Kimberly only wanted to hold her new bundle of joy.

"It's been very hard for our family," Pasillas said. "This is just incredible."