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Stitch’s cleft lip and palate has given strength to two children with the same birth defect. When the pit was six months old, his foster parent and licensed vet technician Chrissy Boyles put out word to raise money for surgeries to correct the dog’s deformities. Ashlee Rodman, mother to Sam and Lily who were both born with cleft lip and palate, saw the fundraiser and knew the pooch would help her kids through their own surgeries. Rodman says the special pit has helped her kids feel special, too. When four-year-old Sam was nervous about his surgeries, he’d look at Stitch’s Facebook page to remember that if Stitch could go through hard stuff, so could he. “I just wanted to show my kids that they are not alone,” Rodman said.
