Heartbreaking as it is, a dog with a huge tumor on her head was abandoned on the streets, but three consecutive hospitals have refused treatment

Do you believe in the power of light? We do. In a world often filled with darkness, we choose to be the beacon of hope. And when we met Xiao Fu, a dog teetering on the edge of life and death, we knew our light had to shine for him. We whispered to him, “You have to come, Xiao Fu. Please recharge your batteries. You will be fine. It will definitely improve.” And we meant every word.

A month ago, our team of volunteers received a distressing phone call that would mark the beginning of an unforgettable journey. On the other end of the line was a concerned passerby, reporting a dog lying motionless on the side of a rural road. The description was alarming — a disheveled, thin dog with a large, swollen mass on his chest, constantly drooling, barely moving. We didn’t hesitate. We dropped everything and rushed to the location.

What we found broke our hearts.

There, beside the dusty roadside, lay a dog in such a miserable state that even the most experienced among us were taken aback. His fur was matted and filthy, his ribs visible under a patchy coat. A grotesque lump protruded from his chest, and his mouth hung open as thick drool dripped steadily to the ground. And yet — incredibly — when he saw us approach, his tail gave the faintest wag. Despite the pain, despite the neglect, he greeted us with a look of hope. A glimmer of life still sparkled in his tired eyes.

We named him Xiao Fu.

We carried him gently into our van and drove straight to the animal hospital. The vet team was ready, and Xiao Fu was admitted for emergency care. Initial exams revealed the harsh truth — he had likely been living like this for weeks, maybe longer. The tumor in his chest had already deteriorated the surrounding bones. His body was fighting a silent war.

The first doctor who examined Xiao Fu was brutally honest. “The condition is severe,” he told us. “I’m not sure if treatment is an option.” The words hit hard. But Xiao Fu’s small, trusting gaze was all we needed to push forward. He hadn’t given up, and neither would we.

Unwilling to accept defeat, we sought second and third opinions. We carried Xiao Fu from one hospital to another, hoping that somewhere, someone would be willing to take a chance on him. At last, we found a clinic where the medical staff believed in miracles as much as we did. They didn’t promise a cure, but they offered hope — and that was enough.

Xiao Fu began treatment immediately.

Despite his frailty, he remained gentle and loving, responding to every kind gesture with a grateful wag of his tail. The vet team performed a series of thorough tests, including blood work, X-rays, and biopsies. It was a grueling process for such a fragile dog. He received blood transfusions to stabilize his condition and was placed on medication to manage pain and inflammation.

But hope, as we learned, often walks hand in hand with heartbreak.

A CT scan revealed that the tumor had metastasized. It had reached Xiao Fu’s brain, spreading through vital nerves and even eroding parts of his skull. Surgery was ruled out immediately — too risky, too late. For a brief moment, despair returned. Was this the end of the road?

And yet, a sliver of light remained.

One of the specialists suggested that the tumor could be a hemangiofibroma — a type of cancer that, while serious, could be managed with the right medication. It wasn’t a cure, but it was a plan. Xiao Fu began a new round of treatment, this time targeting the tumor at the cellular level. Days turned into weeks. His progress was slow, sometimes stagnant, but always steady.

Two months into his treatment, Xiao Fu began to change. His frame filled out. He gained weight. His eyes grew brighter, and his appetite returned. No longer the trembling, drooling creature we had first found, Xiao Fu became a symbol of quiet resilience. Every small improvement felt like a victory. Every tail wag reminded us that miracles often come in the form of perseverance.

Throughout this journey, our volunteers never wavered. There were moments of doubt, of course. Times when the test results made us cry, when the vet bills piled up, when progress seemed impossibly slow. But we had each other, and more importantly, we had Xiao Fu’s indomitable spirit. He never once complained. He simply trusted us — and that trust pushed us to keep going.

We can’t predict the future. Xiao Fu’s condition remains delicate, and the cancer could return. But today, he is happy. He wakes up each morning in a clean, warm bed. He eats nutritious meals. He walks in the sunshine and basks in the love of the people who refused to give up on him. He has become a favorite at the rescue center, adored by volunteers and visitors alike.

Most importantly, Xiao Fu lives without guilt. He doesn’t carry the burden of his past. He doesn’t dwell on the pain or the abandonment he endured. He simply lives — in the present, with joy and peace.

His story is more than a tale of rescue. It’s a reminder that even when things seem hopeless, light can still break through. That love, when unwavering, has the power to heal even the deepest wounds. And that sometimes, all it takes is a group of people who believe — in light, in second chances, and in a little dog named Xiao Fu.

So do you believe in the power of light?

We do. And thanks to that belief, Xiao Fu is still here.