- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Donna J Marks hasn't added a story.
I'd like you to meet Willow. I first saw her about 2 months ago wandering along a busy road that I use to go into work everyday. When I saw her I stopped immediately since there are more than just cars to worry about in this area, there is also a great deal of wildlife and here is this tiny Shih Tzu all alone. From the moment I met her she melted my heart. Such a sweet soul, she came right up to me tail wagging. She was skin and bones, matted and had this huge tumor hanging from her as well as about a dozen small tumors.
At first I thought she was a stray, but soon realized she
did have a home so I carried her back there and handed her over to
her mom. After I left I could not get her out of my head. She was
all I could think about, so every time I was on that road I looked
for her.
A couple weeks passed before I saw her again and this time she
was literaly locked together with a male chihuhua who was having
his way with her. They were in the middle of the road so I pulled
over and started slowing down traffic until I could separate them
and get them safely to the side of the road. This time when I
brought her home I asked the man that was there if I could take
her with me. I could give her a great home and make sure she had
the medical care she needed. He said it wasn't his decision but
he'd speak to her mom and let me know. I waited by my phone,
but no call came so everyday on my way into work and then again on
my way home I stopped and knocked on their door until one day they
answered and finally agreed to let me take Willow. I also found
out that she is 12 years old.
immediately took her to the vet and in addition to her numerous tumors and being nearly starved, the poor girl also has a severe heart murmur which makes surgery very risky and complicated. Before we could even consider operating we first needed to get her stronger which meant gaining some weight and getting the proper nutrition. Over the next several weeks Willow gained a few pounds, had a nice haircut and is learning to be part of a family, but even with all this progress we still had this severe heart murmur to contend with.
This brings us to today, now 7 weeks after her rescue. Her tumors continue to grow. The largest one I call Potata, since it sounds nicer than "giant tumor", is so big now it drags along the ground and I have been using a belly band to prevent it from scraping and getting sores.
She has also developed a new tumor under her eyelid that is growing very fast and starting to irritate her eye. On June 1st we drove 6 hours for her to see a specialist since carrying around Potata cannot go on. It weighs almost as much as Willow and her eye is more irritated each passing day. We met with an amazing surgeon who is working with a radiologist and a cardiologist to create a surgical plan to minimize the risks given Willow's heart condition and remove as many tumors as possible starting with Potata and her eyelid tumor and if she is doing well under anesthesia, the doctor will also remove as many of Potata's friends as possible.
All I can think about is making her as comfortable as
possible for probably the first time in many many years.
She is the sweetest little soul with a lot of love to
give. When I first rescued her I thought I could manage
all her care on my own, but now with all the complications
involved and my desire to make this as safe a procedure as
possible, the amount required is more than I can possibly
afford so I am here asking for your help. Please help me
give Willow the life she deserves. Her surgery which is
going to cost $5,179. 70 is scheduled for June 30th, but
will need to be delayed if I cannot raise the money. I
have included a breakdown of the charges for Willow's
surgery below.
I wish you could all meet Willow in person because
despite a lifetime of neglect her tail is always wagging.
She now has a loving family around her (2-legged and
4-legged) and with your help, a real chance at the
happiness she deserves. Will you please help Willow?
Highlights
See all activity112Activity
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.