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How a CBS Philadelphia story led to a Los Angeles dog and 3-year-old sharing a unique bond

By
Stephanie Stahl
Stephanie Stahl
Stephanie Stahl is an Emmy Award-winning health reporter. She can be seen daily on CBS News Philadelphia and Philly57.
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Stephanie Stahl

/ CBS Philadelphia

A Philadelphia toddler and a dog from Los Angeles have a unique bond that came together thanks to a CHOP doctor and a story from CBS News Philadelphia.

Cameron Knowles, 3, and a dog named Panini both have the world's smallest pacemaker.

It's an unlikely connection that was put together by Dr. Maully Shah of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Two and a half years ago, Cameron had a heart block and was too small for a conventional pacemaker. He became the first baby at CHOP to receive a specially modified device that was placed outside his heart.

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A toddler and a dog from Los Angeles have a unique bond that came together thanks to a Philly doctor and a story from CBS News Philadelphia. CBS News Philadelphia

Panini, who lives with Heather Ashley Boyer in Los Angeles, has the same kind of heart block, and like Cameron, sizing for a pacemaker became an issue.

"So I found an article, your article online, that reported on baby Cameron," Boyer told CBS News Philadelphia.

Then, when veterinarians said they couldn't help, Boyer called CHOP.

"They're like, 'Oh great, what's your patient's date of birth and insurance info,' and I was like, 'Oh crap,' and so eventually I had to fess up and say, 'Well, my patient has four legs and a tail,'" Boyer said.

When Boyer reached out to Shah, she sent a photo of Panini.

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Panini is a Chiweenie, which is a mix between a chihuahua and a dachshund. Panini the Chiweenie has 6,600 followers on Instagram. CBS News Philadelphia

"Once you see that picture, there is no turning back, right? I'm all in," Shah said. 

There were massive regulatory hurdles, but Shah and Boyer kept pushing. Three months ago, Panini got the special pacemaker at Cornell Veterinary Hospital.

"She's been doing amazing," Boyer said. "She's very active now."

Boyer was back on the East Coast for Panini's check-up and visiting her parents as Shah arranged for everyone to meet.

"It's so great to see that they're connected by such a small device," Shakiara Pressley, Cameron's mother, said.

Both Cameron and Panini are thriving now, with their identical tiny pacemakers, defying the odds

"This is why you have to believe in the goodness of people, even in the hardest of times, right?" Shah said.

Panini is a Chiweenie, which is a mix between a chihuahua and a dachshund. has 6,600 followers on Instagram.

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