Facebook Helps Brain Cancer Patient Reunite With Lost Dog

Brain cancer patient Sebastian Delgado was grief-stricken upon realizing his beloved pit bull Maiden had disappeared from his Riverside, California, home.

Emotional support dog goes missing 

Delgado, age 22, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after he started having inexplicable seizures last year. When doctors discovered a tumor in his brain, they told him he needed to undergo invasive brain surgery. Before and after going under the knife, the most important thing in his life was his pitbull puppy. Delgado's girlfriend told ABC 7 News that when he emerged from surgery, the first thing he did was ask about his dog, who had become a major support system in his life.

Maiden as a puppy

While doctors were able to successfully remove Delgado's tumor, they warned him that it would likely return. The young man's future will almost certainly be filled with more surgeries and potentially chemotherapy. Although scared, Delgado was confident he could stay strong with the help of his four-legged companion, who has been a source of emotional comfort for him since the diagnosis. This is why, when Maiden wandered out of an unlocked gate at the sick man's friend's house, Delgado and his girlfriend launched a massive search to bring the pup home.

Community comes together to find Maiden 

The couple created a Facebook page, "

." The page explained Delgado's story and featured pictures of him and his beloved dog. They used the page to get in touch with ABC 7 News, who helped spread the word about Delgado's missing Maiden.According to the local news source, the TV coverage on the story reached Tray Dose, an employee of the Riverside Police Department. Upon hearing Delgado's story, she remembered that her friend and co-worker Valarie Pataky had been talking about a precious pitbull she'd recently discovered on the streets and taken in. Pataky told ABC 7 that she'd been driving around when she saw the dog walking dangerously close to the road. She opened up her car door and the friendly pooch jumped right in.Dose contacted Pataky, who immediately knew she'd found Maiden. The two women got in touch with ABC 7 and arranged a reunion between the dog and his owner within minutes.

"Maiden is so happy to be home! Thank you to everyone for all the help, support, prayers and to Valerie who took care of her these past few days!" Delgado wrote in a Facebook post after getting his dog back.Take care of your furry friends by using your

 membership to purchase food and medication.