The post I never imagined I’d have to write… In May 2024 many of you know that I lost my beautiful 11 year old cat Crystal to lymphoma. From the day she was diagnosed she fought courageously for 8 weeks and took her last breath in my arms.In August that year, after raising money for Cats Protection league it was mentioned to me that they’d just taken in a beautiful 9yr old blue Burmese cross called Jackie who had sadly lost his owner to old age and his best fur pal Charlie had to be put to sleep & would I be interested?I’m all honesty, I felt it was too soon after losing Crystal for me to welcome another cat but I agreed to go see him as Lily did seem a bit lonely.. The minute I laid eyes on him; Jackie Fang began to help heal my broken heart and so he came home with me… He has continued to soothe my pain and he’s seen me through some of the toughest of times most recently, he cuddles up to me and purrs like a machine just when I need it. Like all of my cats he’s not just a pet, he’s my world but Jackie has become extra special to me as he seems to know exactly when I need support and he has given me complete and unconditional love - it was like we were meant to find each other. I felt I had many happy years ahead with my boy by my side. Devastatingly, on 12-7-23, the day before my birthday, and after having a large, what we presumed to be fatty, lump removed, Jackie was unexpectedly diagnosed with lymphangiosarcoma; textbooks state ‘Lymphangiosarcoma is a rare malignant cancer with very few reports of it occurring in cats…the prognosis is poor..’ my vet said he hadn’t seen a case of this form of cancer in 20 years. My heart was once again broken in two. My boy is only 11 in August, he’s only young in my eyes & the thought of losing another cat to cancer so soon after losing Crystal is hard to comprehend so I’m determined to do all I can to give him a fighting chance. The initial tumour has been removed thanks to the skill of Kamal & his team at Willows vet practice in South Shields and after lots of failed attempts at looking for a positive outcome I finally found one journal which stated remission was seen in one cat after surgical removal of the tumour & further follow up scans and treatment. This has given me hope.Now I need to look at the path ahead and overcome the difficult obstacles I’m already facing. Jackie is insured on a lifetime policy which was the best cover I could get but he’s only covered up to £1000 a year which then resets in October when I renew. The bill so far for his treatment & tumour removal has come to £1300; the insurers have already paid out very quickly which I’m so grateful for. After taking off the £100 excess & 20% off the bill as he’s over 10, I paid just over £400 which I can only just about manage as living alone & paying all my bills on my own takes any other disposable income. In 2 weeks time my gorgeous boy is due to attend a specialist centre for full diagnostics including x rays, lymph node scans and full blood tests to come up with a treatment plan which will give him the best chance of survival; no one knows what the future holds but I’ve been told this could give him at least another few years; without it I could lose him in the next 6 months or sooner. That thought is just too much to comprehend. I want to do all I can to save Jackie. However… I’ve been told the tests and follow up treatment is going to cost between £3-4k which I just don’t have. The insurers won’t cover any more costs until my renewal in October when I can claim up to £1k again but with every day that passes without treatment I fear I’ll lose the best thing to happen to me since Crystal died. I do not want to ask for help with the costs for free. Instead I’m willing to use my artistic ability to help raise the money I need to give Jackie a fighting chance. Therefore I’m going to do a draw to win one of my personal portraits of any size. Please take a look at the commissions I’ve done before to give you an idea. https://www.naomiaustin.co.uk/commissionsI know we’re in a cost of living crisis and I appreciate this may be difficult for some of you. If you can even donate a couple of quid it will all help but to be entered into the draw I will be asking for a minimum of £20 for one ticket otherwise I may be at risk of getting nowhere near my target and it’s now a race against time to save my beautiful boy. Obviously, EVERY SINGLE PENNY I raise will go towards trying to save Jackie. He deserves every chance to live. He’s my miracle cat. He’s already responding incredibly well to the massive surgery he underwent, he’s playing and getting up to all sorts of mischief despite having 17 stitches in his tummy & I just can’t imagine life without him.Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Draw 1st place: 60x60cm plush cushion + 30x20cm canvas of a drawing of your choice 2nd place: 80x60cm canvas print of a drawing of your choice 3rd place: 40x30cm canvas print of a drawing of your choice Please note, drawings can only be done from clear & in focus photos.
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