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These Loyal Family Dogs Refuse To Leave Dying Toddler’s Side

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This is the heartbreaking sight of a pair of family basset hounds who simply refuse to leave the bedside of a dying toddler.

Four-month-old Nora Hall has spent weeks in intensive care after she suffered a devastating stroke that shut down her brain but doctors say there is nothing more than can do for her.

Her parents, Mary and John, have now decided that the best thing for the toddler is to switch off her life support machine before she has a painful heart attack.

But Nora has not been alone in her room at any time as the family’s eight-year-old basset hounds have been at the toddler’s side throughout her ordeal.

Doctors at the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital have allowed the dogs inside Nora’s room, and they were pictured lying down at little Nora’s side.

Mary said that she could tell that the dogs were “stressed and sad” and was torn whether to let them stay in the toddler’s room as the life support machine was switched off.

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Loyal: One of the basset hounds lies on Nora’s bed in hospital (Facebook)

She wrote on Facebook that she considered giving them to her brother “in case they get more stressed seeing everyone upset, or if I should let them stay in the room for when she passes, so they aren’t left wondering where she is when we go home”.

However, followers told her that they should stay in the ward to support both Nora and her parents in baby’s final moments.

Following the decision to remove Nora’s life support, Mary wrote on Facebook: “Our hearts are so completely broken. Our world is shattered.

“We are devastated and ache for our baby girl. We tried so very hard to save her, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

She added: “We have been praying so hard for a miracle, that we hadn’t realised that it was right in front of us this whole time.

“Nora IS our miracle. After reviewing everything, her team of doctors told us that they were absolutely amazed that she made it this far without having any serious complications from her underlying genetic condition.”

Nora was born with pulmonary hypertension, which is an incurable condition with a low life expectancy.

A GoFundMe page set up for the family has so far raised over £11,000.

Top pic: Facebook