A Friendship Years in the Making

Life has a way of bringing moments back around when you least expect them.

For Isabella “Bella” Masters, one of those moments walked toward her on four legs inside Marshall’s Drinko Library.

Bella had heard about the dog before she ever saw her. A friend mentioned running into a therapy dog on campus — one with a familiar name.
Isabella.

“I put two-and-two together and decided I had to see her before the semester was over,” Bella recalled, at the end of her freshman year on campus. “I walked into the library, and there she was.”

But this wasn’t just any therapy dog.

This was a dog named after her.

Years earlier, Bella’s world looked very different. At just 8 years old, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer in her right leg. What followed were surgeries, chemotherapy and long days spent at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

It was there — amid the uncertainty and exhaustion — that moments of light found their way in.

“I absolutely remember Robin and her wonderful puppies,” Bella said. “It always helped to see those pups.”

Robin Ash had been visiting patients with her therapy dog, Angel, as part of a mission she has carried out for decades — bringing comfort where it is needed most. Hospital rooms, hospice centers, nursing facilities — places where a wagging tail and gentle presence could change the course of someone’s day.

One of those visits led to something neither of them could have predicted.

Shortly after Bella completed treatment, she was asked to participate in a commercial for Cabell Huntington Hospital. Robin and Angel were part of that moment, too.

“It was a total joy,” Robin said. “I think it was shortly after she had rung the bell to be cancer free.”

But the impact of that meeting didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling.

After Angel passed away, Robin found herself holding onto a story, one that stayed with her in a deeply personal way. A series of small, meaningful moments connected through Bella’s name made the decision clear when it came time to welcome another therapy dog.

“We have to name her Isabella,” Robin remembered saying.

And so, Isabella — the dog — began her own journey of service.

With a busy calendar and a personality to match, Isabella quickly became a familiar and welcome presence across hospitals, hospice centers and Marshall’s campus through the MU PAWS program. Known for her endless supply of tail wags and what seems like a permanent grin, she brings the same comfort Angel once did — continuing a legacy of care.

Then came the moment that brought everything full circle.

When Bella introduced herself that day in the library, Robin didn’t just recognize her name — she recognized her. For Robin, the moment was just as powerful.

“I thought I was going to start crying,” Robin said.

It wasn’t just a reunion — it was a Marshall moment.

On one side stood Bella, now a Marshall student studying biomedical engineering and navigating campus like any other college student. She does so on a prosthetic leg she uses every day, an experience that inspired her major and her ultimate goal of working in prosthetics and orthotics. On the other side was Robin, a Marshall grad, continuing her decades-long mission — now through Marshall’s PAWS program, with Isabella offering the same comfort to students that Bella once received during her own hospital stays.

But Marshall had one more chapter to add to the story.

Through the university’s Paws in the Halls program, Robin and Isabella were assigned to visit the very residence hall where Bella lived as a student — turning chance encounters into something more meaningful.

A connection that once lasted minutes in a hospital room became something ongoing — woven into everyday life.

“I cannot wait to see my name twin more often,” Bella said. “It is always nice to know you have a friend on campus.”

For both of them, it’s a reminder of how far they’ve come — and how deeply a single moment can matter.

“It was a full circle moment for sure,” Bella said. “And just the push I needed.”

For Robin, it’s the chance to continue a mission that began years ago, now with a name that carries a story of resilience, connection and hope.

Now preparing to enter her senior year and living off campus, Bella’s days look a little different – but the meaning of that connection hasn’t changed. What began as a chance meeting during one of the most difficult chapters of her life has come full circle at Marshall, a reminder that some moments – and some friendships – have a way of staying with us.