Basset Hounds Wouldn't Leave Dying Infant's Side
Nora Hall died at 5 months old.
— -- A family's two basset hounds refused to leave a dying child's side after doctor's informed her parents the devastating news that she wouldn't survive.
"It was really nice," mom Mary Hall of Deluth, Minnesota, told ABC News. "It brought us a lot of comfort to have them [there]. But by the end of the first day, you could see they were stressed out and depressed. Normally, they're very happy-go-lucky. We knew they could sense there was something wrong."
Nora Hall, 5 months old, died May 2 after suffering a stroke April 6 and spending three weeks in the hospital.
The stroke had affected both sides of her brain, causing severe damage, her mother said.
The family dogs, 8-year-old Grumpy and Gracie, fell in love with Nora as soon as she arrived from the hospital, Hall said.
"Gracie, especially, took on the role as second mother," she said. "Whenever Nora would cry, Gracie would run to see what was wrong. She was always, always by Nora and kissing her and making sure she was OK."
As Nora's days were sadly numbered, Children's Hospital in Minneapolis asked Mary and John Hall whether they had any final wishes for their daughter.
"I asked, 'If you could let us have our dogs [at the hospital], we'd really appreciate that,'" Hall recalled. "I didn't want to go home and have them sniffing around for her and not knowing where she went. They lowered the bed so the dogs could lay with her and Gracie ran up and licked her [Nora]."
Hall said she is grateful for the hospital honoring the special exception of having Nora, Gracie and Grumpy together one last time.
The family snapped photos of the touching goodbyes and posted them on Facebook.
"She was just a really happy baby," Hall said. "Before we went into the hospital, she'd just start laughing. She was happy all the time."