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Penn Police officers "make things right" for young girl diagnosed with leukemia

Published  July 19, 2016 11:25pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (WTXF) - Who could do such a thing? Someone takes the iPad of a little girl getting treatments for leukemia at CHOP.

But some local police officers went above the call of duty. They stepped up to make things right.

At just 21 months old, it's Arianna Lewis has spent half of her little life at CHOP. She was just over a year old when doctors diagnosed her with a rare form of leukemia last December.

That meant countless hours of chemo and eventually a bone marrow transplant, a rough ride for this precious little girl.

"Asking a 14 month old to sit still for four to six hours that's not including being there for the chemo which is several hours. There were some days we were at clinic 8 hours." Katrina Knott said.

Someone donated an iPad to Arianna Lewis to help get her through those tough times.

"Between face timing family, face timing our dogs, doing games and apps she loves, videos her shows," Katrina Knott said. "She discovered the home button very quickly on the iPad so that was her favorite thing to do and to talk to Siri."

But on Sunday, Katrina says the iPad was gone from the room they were in at CHOP.

She eventually tracked it to the University of Penn campus, but when she got to the location the iPad was nowhere to be found.

Instead, she met these two officers who would soon make everything right again.
Officers Ryan James and Gary Cooper took a police report and Katrina and her fiance returned to the hospital.

Soon after, the officers showed up with a special gift.
"It just felt like the right thing to do for a young girl who has been through a whole heck of a lot over a short period of time," Officer Ryan James said. "It was heart touching it really was it was really heart touching and it made me feel really, really good."

"He said I know it's my personal I-pad I want you to have it I don't use it and I started too hysterical crying," Katrina said.
Katrina was so moved; she posted a big thank you on Facebook. And now calls the officers two of Arianna's guardian angels.

They just gave from their heart, something that comes from within and it brings a whole new sense of faith and my family has really needed that faith during this time," Katrina said.