Tears as Goldendoodle Comforts Single Mom Owner With Stage IV Cancer [Video]

A video of a canine comforting his owner during a difficult time has tugged at the heartstrings of social media users.

Maria Kang, 43, who was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in November, posted the video on her @mariakangfitness Instagram account in August. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2024 alone, there have been more than 106,500 new cases of the same disease.

Kang, a business owner, spoke with Newsweek via email about the challenges of having cancer and staying strong for her three sons. While she doesn’t have a spouse to lean on for support, she does have her 7-year-old goldendoodle, Ranger.

“This has been very difficult to experience alone, without a mother or husband, but … at least I have my dog,” said Kang, who lives in Sacramento, California.