A 9-year-old girl found her own special way to say goodbye to the dog who has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember.
Chris Miles lives with his wife, Danielle, and their three kids, 13-year-old Roman and twin 9-year-old sisters, Raelynn and Jaden, in McMinnville, Oregon. Miles first came to McMinnville in 2011 to play football for Linfield University but stuck around after meeting Danielle, a fellow athlete, and falling in love. They married in 2006 and, for a little while, it was just the two of them.
That all changed in the summer of 2009, when Miles' wife returned home from a bachelorette party with a puppy. "A girl in Lincoln City had a sign that said 'FREE DOG.' So, Dani brought her home," Miles told Newsweek.
That puppy ended up being named Madison and, for the next 15 years, would be a constant presence in their ever-changing lives. "We always loved the name Madison. We were originally saving it for our first kid … but we fell in love with this dog," Miles said. "The vet thought her birth month was in May, which was also my birth month, so we named her Madison May Miles. She was our purebred mutt. Some pit, some boxer, some Lab and a whole lot of love."
From Day One, they felt a special connection to Madi. "We were living in a duplex at the time that forbade dogs," Miles said. "So we did what any couple would do. We moved." It was clear to both Miles and his wife that Madi was a special dog, who had a special role in their lives. "My wife and I had trouble conceiving children. So Madi definitely filled that void," Miles said.
In 2011, Roman was born, with Raelynn and Jade arriving four years later, in more difficult circumstances. "Raelynn was out in one contraction and ready for the world; Jade, however, had trouble and needed an emergency c-section," Miles said. "Her heart was not beating when she was born, and it took 22 minutes to revive her." Danielle also suffered complications as a result of the birth.
Thankfully, though, after a brief stay in hospital, the family was ready to come home, with Madi waiting to receive her new canine siblings. In time, Danielle landed a job with the federal government that allowed Miles to move the design business he had home.
For eight years, he was a stay-at-home dad. He had good company throughout. "Madi was there with me by my side the whole time," Miles said. "When I stayed up late working or coddling a baby, she was at my feet. She would lay and almost help watch the babies with me."
Miles' kids always grew up with Madi by their sides. "Our kids don't really know life without Madi," he said. "These last few weeks have been such an adjustment."
Madi's health issues first began in the summer of 2021 when a trip to the vet's revealed she had cancer. "The vet predicted she wouldn't make Christmas," he said. Yet Madi defied the odds to live on for the next couple of years. "She was definitely deteriorating. However, she still had so much love and joy," Miles said. "We didn't know how to live without her. She was my wife and I's first kid really."
Toward the end of her life, Madi was virtually blind and her hearing had almost gone, while she struggled to walk. Though she had been happy for so long, it was clear that the cancer was progressing to a point where day-to-day life was becoming difficult for her.
It was decided that it was time for Madi to "go to heaven." Telling their kids the news was heartbreaking. "It was the saddest day ever. We all grieved in our own way. Other than me and Dani, Jaden was probably hit the hardest," Miles said. "She probably loved Madi the most. Jaden would usually be the one to feed her, water her, give her more treats than she was allowed to and would more than likely be cuddling Madi all the time."
Before Madi was taken to the vet's, Jaden asked if she could write her a "goodbye letter." Eager to create a lasting memory of this, Miles asked if he could record her reading it to Madi. She said yes. "Goodbye Madi, we love you," Jaden says in the video, which Miles posted to his TikTok, @doublenickel_55. "I loved you when you were here and I still love you when you're gone."
"This broke my heart," Miles wrote alongside the clip.
Though death is undoubtedly the hardest part of pet ownership for any young child, research has highlighted how it can also be of huge benefit. A systematic review from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health highlighted a range of benefits including boosts to self-esteem and loneliness; educational and cognitive benefits; increased social competence; and improved intellectual development and empathy.
The video of Jaden saying her goodbye to Madi touches on so much of this. There's something else in the footage that Miles sees, though. "I have rewatched that video a million times," he said. "It almost looks like Madi acknowledges Jaden and nods like she knows."
Maybe Jaden wasn't the only one saying goodbye that day.
English (US) ·