Boy moved to tears after learning his new puppy was a gift from his recently deceased father
Logan Kavaluskis holds his new puppy for the first time.
At 47, Joe Kavaluskis lost his nine-year battle with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, on January 8, 2020, leaving behind a wife and two sons. But that didn't stop him from fulfilling one of his son's dreams a week later on his 13th birthday.
In the final days of his life, he told his wife, Melanie, to buy their son, Logan, a puppy after he passed. He thought the dog would brighten his spirits after such a loss and it was something he always wanted but couldn't have. Joe was allergic to dogs so he couldn't have one in the home.
"He said, 'Just promise that when I do pass, that you get Logan a puppy as soon as you can, because I know that it will bring him a lot of comfort,'" Melanie Kavaluskis told Inside Edition.
Throughout his childhood, Logan had hermit crabs and lizards, but never the puppy he always wanted. When he was 3 years old he got a stuffed Boston terrier and named it Puppers and took it everywhere he went for years.
Joe thought it was the right time for him to have a real Boston terrier of his own.
13-year-old cries as he's surprised with dog from late dad.www.youtube.com
A week after Joe's passing, Melanie told her son Logan they had to drive to Midland, Michigan to pick up a puppy, but he had no idea it was a gift for him. Halfway through the drive home, his cousin Jon broke the news.
"That's from your dad. That's your dog," Jon told an astonished Logan. "Really? Logan replied.
The 13-year-old boy looked down at the dog and he still couldn't believe it was his. "'Dad wanted you to have a puppy," his cousin said.
"Words can't explain the shock," Logan later told WZZM13. "I had to ask 'really?' again, just to make sure it was my dog and not a horrid prank."
The family has named the dog Indy and Logan says he's a great fit for the family.
"He fits to all of our needs. Cuddles with my mom and my brother and plays with me, unless I want him to relax," Logan said.
Melanie thinks that her husband's final gesture may have been his best.
"He got it right. This was amazing. This gift is just perfect. Perfect timing," she said.
Kid gets surprise gift after dad's death.www.youtube.com
Joe's gesture may have done more than just cheer up his son. Research shows that pets can be a big help for kids who are grieving.
"Pets can help improve mood," said Gina McDowell, a licensed professional clinical counselor and behavioral health clinical educator at the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, in a Huffington Post article.
"Playing with pets often creates positive emotions that can last throughout the day and may even help manage symptoms of anxiety and depression," she continued.
It has to be terribly frustrating to be suffering from a terminal disease knowing you'll be unable to comfort your children when you're gone. But Joe did one of the most beautiful things imaginable by fulfilling one of his son's dreams while also giving him a way to cope in a time of need.
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