Feeling Bad for Blitz

Today Blitz fell down the stairs. He's been having a limp on his right rear leg, I soak it and it is fine, appearing occasionally when he runs. It's not a limp really, he just curls it oddly under his belly. When he fell down the stairs he got up quickly but I could see his rear is not as strong as it should be. I've also been noticing in the past week or two it is taking him longer and longer to eat - so much so now that I have to put the other dogs outside as they eat their food and circle like a bunch of vultures around him as he eats. Then I came across this picture of him - my first photo of him when he came home with me. We had so many plans for this beautiful little boy, and now he is so disfigured I can only take far-away shots so onlookers cannot see the ravages of this awful disease. The one thing that keeps me going is Blitz's attitude. As you can see his eyes sparkle with intelligence and fun and they still do. Blitz wakes up happy and goes to bed happy and celebrates every single moment he is here with us. He no longer has a black nose - the pigment is gone - and the black lips are also pink. The hair is off his face and he is missing patches of fur on his legs, the tip of his tail and belly. So, he's no longer beautiful on the outside but his soul is still shining through.
Unless he dramatically worsens we are still moving forward with showing him on May 15. But, I do see a deterioration so this may be our only time. Is it the stress of training? Or is this just coincidence? Hard to tell. But as long as Blitz loves to work and he loves the show ring we will do this. It's just sometimes it hits me hard like today seeing my beautiful puppy having to go through all this - it's so unfair and cruel. I hope some day they can find a cure for this disease and no other dog has go to through what he and others like him are.
So I'll swallow the lump in my throat after writing this, put on a smile and we'll go outside to potty and he'll play with Moto for a bit, and then snuggle on the bed with me and give me his little Blitz kisses - quick little licks of the tongue that are so cute. And my sadness will be gone for awhile.