Happiness is a dolphin hug

McKenna McGough, 10, of Garland, Texas, planned her summer vacation around her visit to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium this week through Friday.

McKenna had cancerous tumors in her ears that damaged her ability to hear and she has had surgeries. She always refused to regularly wear her hearing aid until she met Winter, the tail-less dolphin. After meeting Winter, she has worn her hearing aid ever since.

And now, she is doing something to give back to Winter. She recently had her 10th birthday and wanted to do something special for Winter. Instead of getting gifts from her friends, she asked them to donate money so she could buy toys for Winter. Five of her friends gave her money, plus she got some from family and other friends.

She collected $100 and bought a ball, two Hula Hoops, some dive rings, a kickboard, some nontoxic bubbles and blankets for the aquarium’s otters, too. She’s also going to buy some paint for Winter to use.

Aquarium staff surprised her by allowing her to get in the water with Winter on a platform and interact with the dolphin.

“It was awesome,” the almost speechless girl managed to get out.

“We came out about two years ago and since then, she’s been hooked,” said her mom, Stacy McGough.

McKenna has a stuffed toy Winter that she took into ear surgery with her. Her mom explained that helped her to not be so afraid of the surgery.

Stacy McGough said McKenna wants to spend all her vacations at the aquarium and she wants to be Winter’s trainer when she grows up. Photos and text by Jim Damaske of the Times staff