Michayla Hopkins is now part of Westminster Dog Show history.
The 11-year-old from Plainfield, Conn., tells PEOPLE she has loved dogs "since I was born," and has been working with canines nearly as long. And on Feb. 3, she has made one of her long-held dreams come true by competing in the Westminster Dog Show, going up against adults in the event's confirmation dog show.
"Michayla has loved dogs since she was a baby. From the time she was a toddler, she always pretended she was a groomer or a handler, practicing for a show. She did her first official show when she was seven. It was with Frankie, a Miniature American Shepherd. Michayla was a natural. She blew everyone away in the PeeWee class. She's even beat me, and I've been showing dogs for years!" Michayla's proud grandmother, Jennifer Brown, says.
Naturally, as a talented, young dog handler, Michayla had dreams of one day competing at Westminster. When she was diagnosed with Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma -- a rare cancer that affects roughly 80 people a year in the U.S. and does not respond to traditional chemotherapy -- in May 2025, Michayla admits she was scared at first, but didn't let it get in the way of her ambition.
"I try to think about one day at a time," the 11-year-old says of facing her diagnosis and treatment.
Shortly after her diagnosis, Michayla underwent surgery to remove the initial tumor, which was in her bicep. The operation caused the girl to lose a large part of her bicep muscle. Unfortunately, scans three months later revealed the cancer had metastasized to Michayla's lungs. She tried an oral form of TKI therapy for treatment, but has since started immunotherapy IV infusions after the TKI therapy was ineffective for her.
Despite months filled with hospital visits and treatments, Michayla has kept up her work with dogs. She is currently reigning top Miniature American Shepherd Jr. Handler in the country.
The girl's dedication to her passion caught the attention of Sarah Crepeau of Southwick Vizslas in Southwick, Massachusetts. Impressed by Michayla's talent, persistence, and enthusiasm, Crepeau agreed to let Michayla show one of Southwick Vizslas dogs during the Best in Breed round for Vizslas at the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The 11-year-old took the role seriously, planning an outfit that complemented Sunny's coat color and spending plenty of time practicing posing and grooming with the dog before the show.
To ensure Michayla felt her most confident in the ring, nonprofit The Basic Six, which provides complimentary beauty services to women with cancer, brought in professionals to do the girl's hair and makeup.
Michayla and Sunny competed against over 30 other Viszlas in the ring. And while the pair didn't capture a Best in Breed title, it was a winning experience for the duo.
"It was really cool and fun. It was really nice to be in the ring. I liked it best when it was my turn to present because I got to show off my dog. It feels really good to be out there," Michayla says of her experience showing Sunny the Vizsla at Westminster.
Michayla adds that being around dogs makes her more confident, happy, and comfortable no matter what, and that her experience at Westminster was a reminder to embrace your passions, especially when life is challenging.
"I'm living my life and not giving up, and I have a lot of people to help, lean on, and pray for me," she says, adding for anyone struggling, "Stay strong. You can do it. It's ok to be scared if something like this happens, but then find something else to focus on, like dogs."
She and her family are hopeful that Michayla's story and determination will inspire others and benefit the girl's long-term care.
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"If anyone has any connections to experts on Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma, new research, or scientific breakthroughs, we'd like to know about them. We have a great medical team, but no one can know everything that is happening when it comes to rare diseases. So, the family is trying to get the word out to learn as much as possible about every single option for Michaylam," Brown says.
Michayla's family has also started a GoFundMe for the girl's medical treatment and care, where they provide updates on Michayla's health as well.