Vida is the Spanish word for "life." As a gift to myself after completing my Master's Degree in 2013, I adopted a 1 and a half year old pit bull-catahoula lepoard dog mix and best friend from the MDSPCA. I had been waiting for the opportunity to adopt a dog my entire adult life and there was no doubt that the responsibility would become my whole life, so the name Vida seemed perfectly fitting. Let me tell you --- she certainly lives up to her name and is so full of life! We had already been through an ACL tear a year into our life together, but made it through like champs! Seeing my baby girl go through sugery and recovery from her leg injury was very taxing on me, but her strength was unwavering. Little did I know that just a few short years later, we would be facing a cancer diagnosis in August 2015 of a mast cell tumor.Due to the location of the tumor on her forearm, Vida's tumor is inoperable --there is not enough surrounding tissue to remove the mass completely. However, this is certainly not stopping us from our fight. I have chosen to pursue radiation therapy for Vida, the cost of which can total more than $8,000. Currently, Vida's tumor is localized, and with the completion of 19 radiation treatments, she has the potential to be cured of the cancer! However, we will need to act swiftly and begin treatments as soon as financially possible to squash the possibility of her cancer metastizing.This will be an intense few months for Vida as well as me -- she will need to receive the treatments 5 days a week for an entire month, and the treatment center is an hour away from where we live -- the only location in the state of Maryland that offers radiation therapy.Many of you who know me personally are aware that I suffer from OCD and major anxiety disorder. Vida has become an intergral part of managing my everday struggle with anxiety, and I cannot imagine my life without her in it. She is a constant source of pure happiness for me and all those who meet her. Those of you who have experienced the joy of Vida, I hope you smile with fond memories of my silly, waggy-tail girl, and will join us or spread the word in her fight to beat cancer!
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