Cool in a crisis

PRIEST RIVER - As in many cases in life, it took a tragedy to see beauty. The beauty and bravery of a local young girl rising to the occasion to help her family by providing comfort to an injured family pet after a head-on car collision.

Around 4 p.m. on Aug. 11, 12-year old Makayla Gordon and her mother, Kat, received a phone call from Makayla's brother-in-law, Francisco Magana, saying he and his mother, Zualita, had been involved in a car accident and needed help.

Rushing to the scene, the pair found a backed-up line of cars and began making their way on foot. Not hesitating at what she might see, Makayla, who has aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, made her way to the Magana vehicle when most pre-teens wouldn't have gotten out of the car.

Realizing her brother-in-law and his mother were being tended to, Makayla made the decision to become responsible for the well-being of the car's third passenger, a young boxer and family pet named Cheyenne.

Cheyenne was sitting in the back seat when the collision caused her to be thrown to the front windshield and severely injured.

Using a love for animals and a lot of research into the veterinarian field Makayla got past the shock of seeing the crash, picked up Cheyenne carefully and began to check her breathing. Realizing the extent of the injuries were severe, she would continue to do her best just to calm her four-legged friend, reassuring Cheyenne softly that everything would be OK while stroking her back.

Aid from another unlikely source came after the driver of one of the backed up vehicles came forward to offer both Cheyenne and Makayla a ride to the Pend Oreille Veterinarian Clinic.

Makayla continued to monitor her friend from the clinic before receiving the news that the dog's injuries were very severe and the family was forced to make the decision to have her euthanized.

Really upset at first, Makayla's sadness subsided after realizing, "It was the best thing to do so she didn't have to suffer through surgeries."

The 12-year-old has had a strong passion in pet care, deciding in kindergarten she would open her own animal practice after a visit to a friends farm. Since that time, Makayla has also broadened her future profession to include becoming an animal cop.

"I want to save lives and stop people from ever abusing animals," Makayla said. Adding that the crash not only reaffirmed what she aspires to do in life but, "made her want to do it even more."

The honor roll student continues to gather knowledge about the animal world and her two dogs, Tiki and Ginger, and two cats, K.T. and Ayla, continue to be the recipients of Makayla's love and passion for pets.

Francisco and Zualita would both be treated and released from Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after suffering multiple fractures in the collision.

Makayla is the daughter of Nels and Kat Gordon of Oldtown.