Animal Lovers Unite for Anthony

As some of you may know, Facebook has been hit with another viral spree of do-gooding as a page called 'Photo Doggies for Anthony' has reached social media spotlight. The event page dedicated to Arizona teen Anthony Lyons, who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is receiving mass attention with over 800k Facebook users and counting posting to it. The Facebook page came to life after a family friend witnessed the healing nature that therapy dogs provided Anthony since he's been in the hospital. The event page encourages strangers to send in pictures of the their pets, not necessarily just dogs. Within days, it quickly went viral, prompting more than half a million photos from around the world.

16-year-old Anthony is undergoing chemo treatments at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Since falling ill while on vacation with his grandparents in Oregon, he has been in and out of the hospital, but returned Friday and was expected to be there for a week. Anthony says “When I’m in the hospital bed all day my mom goes through all the pictures, she sees them all”. He goes on to explain, “She’ll show me them all, doesn’t matter, but the special ones are the funniest ones”. Truly appreciative of everyone sending in their pictures, including some people going through chemotherapy just like Anthony, the Lyons family is grateful for such support during this difficult time.

So when you get a chance, grab a pic of your pet and share it with Anthony! Devour the details and do something good as we welcome the New Year. Well wishes to Anthony for a fast recovery! We are thinking of you and your family!

 

Update: It looks like the Facebook event page is currently down but please check back and share a picture!