Puppy brings laughter to little girl with brain cancer

PATERSON — Six-year-old Lyana Stevens gained a new companion in her struggle against brain cancer on Monday, a friendly black-and-white puppy who made her giggle when he licked her face.

“Where’s he going to sleep?” asked her father, Gregory Stevens.

“With you, right?” said her mother, Karilyn Reyes.

The illness has left Lyana unable to talk very much. But with a twinkle in her eye, the little girl nodded her head up and down to confirm that the puppy would be bedding down with her.

Lyana and her family have been in a life-and-death battle since March, when the first-grader at Roberto Clemente Elementary School was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. The city’s animal control officer, John DeCando, heard about Lyana’s situation through fundraising efforts and wondered if the little girl wanted a puppy. So he contacted a family member.

“We brought it up to her doctor, and he thought it was an amazing idea,” said Lyana’s mom.

“I’m just happy that’s she’s happy,” said Stevens, looking toward his daughter.

The family opted not to pick a name for the dog until he arrived. “We wanted to see what he looked like,” said Reyes.

Lyana planned to consult with her twin brother, George, and her 12-year-old sister, Hennessey, before settling on a name.

DeCando said the puppy, an 8-month old Havanese, was donated by a woman he knows from Wayne who prefers to remain anonymous. One veterinarian already gave the dog its shots for free, and another has offered to neuter the animal. Havanese, which come from Cuba, are known as companion dogs.

DeCando was near tears after he brought the puppy to the sick little girl.

“I feel like somebody just gave me a check for a million dollars,” he said of the emotions of the day.

Lyana’s parents said she is scheduled to start a new type of chemotherapy treatment this week. They said their goal is to take their daughter for a trial program in Mexico. But that program, which doesn’t take insurance, costs $25,000 per treatment and requires seven sessions over the course of a year.

Her godmother, Lymari Valdez, has set up a nonprofit organization called Faith For Lyana for donations. Family members said they hope to use the money not only for Lyana’s treatment, but also to contribute money to cancer research and to other children afflicted with the disease.

“Every day, there’s another kid getting diagnosed,” said Reyes. “We have kids fighting for their lives, and there’s not enough money for research.”

After her diagnosis, Lyana reacted well to her initial treatments and improved enough during the summer that she was able to enjoy trips to Ocean City, Maryland, and Disney World provided by private foundations.

“She loved seeing the princesses, especially Elsa,” said Reyes, referring to a character from Disney’s "Frozen."

The little girl’s condition worsened dramatically in the fall, and her doctors sent her home from the hospital for hospice care. “They told us there wasn’t anything else they could do,” said her father. “They told us that was it, we ran out of options.”

But Lyana somehow bounced back and regained enough health to start the new treatment, her parents said. Lyana speaks a few words, sometimes saying, “That’s enough,” when her father covers her with kisses. The little girl manages to communicate fairly well through facial expressions and head movements.

“She’s the queen of the house,” said her mother, prompting the child to give an affirmative nod.

Lyana has home-schooling and still likes to get dressed in pretty outfits. “No makeup,” asserted her father, teasingly. Lyana smiled and looked mischievously towards her aunt, Nilmary Stevens, who at times indulges the little girl’s curiosity about cosmetics.

As Lyana’s parents spoke with reporters, the new family member walked around, checking out his new home. Lyana tiled her head at times to try to watch him.

“He’s such a good dog, nice and quiet,” said Reyes.

Donations to the Faith For Lyana fund may be sent to the group at 125 Seventh Avenue in Paterson.