Help Save Charlie
Donation protected
PLEASE NOTE: CATE HAS NOW TAKEN OVER THE CAMPAIGN.
Charlie had the surgery on Wednesday the the 15th of March at Small Animal Specialist Hospital at North Ryde in Sydney. (See original story below).
Charlie being taken in to surgery. I was a mess.

Here's what happened next:
The original tumour was quite small – 1.7-2cm – and it was believed to have been caught early. The known tumour was in a favourable position, and only a small piece of liver needed to be removed. Although there were risks involved the facts as we knew them meant that he had a good chance of being completely cured and a very high chance of survival. So I decided to go ahead with the surgery. Once the surgeons opened Charlie up they discovered a MUCH bigger problem; Aside from smaller tumour on the left lateral lobe (red circle in the picture below), there was a second HUGE tumour on the right of his liver, in fact his right medial and quadrate lobes were completely tumourised (blue circle), as well as the gallbladder (green). They removed all of both tumours. The surgeons made the decision to remove both tumours despite their size and severity based on Charlie's overall health and stability during the initial anaesthetic process. However as the removed the second tumour my beautiful Charlie went into cardiac arrest (heart attack) and for a moment died on the table. He did not respond to the drugs used to restart his heart so they had to open his chest and massage his heart until it started to beat on its own again. Thankfully he responded and was revived. These were the complications that were mentioned in the original post and although they were unlikely, the occurred. Charlie has spent a 3 of nights in the ICU at SASH (small animal specialist hospital) in North Ryde in Sydney. He is now in the critical care section, and is stabilising. However costs are mounting quickly. What was supposed to be an $8,000 surgery and hospital stay is now at about $11,000! This is far more than I've managed to raise (again, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AMAZING GENEROSITY SO FAR IT HAS HUMBLED ME AND BLOWN ME AWAY!) and contribute to myself. Before I got sick myself (see story below) I would have been able to access a loan to pay for this in its entirety. Right now it's simply not possible. I just don't earn enough for the banks to feel comfortable that I'm not a liability. Trying to access over $11,000 in 2 weeks would be a stretch for a lot people, so I'm sure if you're reading this you can understand.
The tumours and gallbladder that they removed from Charlie's liver.

Charlie after surgery in the ICU. (He was hyperthermic, with an erratic heart beat, very low blood pressure, a breathing tube and nasal tube inserted, on IV fentanyl (strong drugs), IV fluids, cathaters in each leg and one in his neck, and was critically ill. He would go on to need a blood transfusion and almost die a number of times throughout the night. )

I've had people tell me that it's ridiculous to spend this money on an old dog, that it's not appropriate to ask for help for 'just a dog'. To those people feel free to judge me, I really don't care. I love my dog like I love any other member of my family. He is my family. He's just furry and has 4 legs! I adore him and I'll do anything for him. He's everything to me. (Read the initial story below for more on mine and Charlie's history)
Here's a breakdown of the money I have I have managed to access:
•$3000 from a company that loans people money for their animals veterinary costs called VetPay (with an $18% interest rate).
• $1000 myself (the last of my savings after the costs for his diagnostic tests and initial laparoscopic biopsy and hospitalisation. See story below)
•$3800 from this campaign (-8% gofundme takes)
So basically I at present I owe at least another $4000 (and counting!) probably another $2000 on top of that by the time he's stable enough to go home. I have no idea how I'm going to manage that. I just have to trust. And pray and believe and stay positive, that the money will come from somewhere.
People have asked me why I have no pet insurance. Here's why; Charlie is 14. When I first got him there was no such thing as pet insurance. By the time it became a 'thing', Charlie was already too old and the one insurance company that would insure him excluded almost everything and made it pointless. So I started a 'Charlie fund' where I put money away each week for his medical costs as they occurred. In September 2014 I spent $5000 of that on his cruciate repair surgery and then the rest ($3200) on his initial tests, procedures and the $1000 for this operation. As I've been sick myself I've not managed to put as much in as I once could. I'm a responsible and dedicated dog owner. And the timing has just been really bad.
It's been so hard for me to accept help from people, especially when I'm so used to being the one called on to help. It's humbling and foreign and has been an exercise in character development. But everyone needs a little help sometimes and I'm learning that it's ok and not shameful. What matters is my boys little life and I'll do anything to help him. Thank you to everyone who is donating. To everyone who has shared and supported me with kind words and encouragement. To the people who have brought me dinner and coffees and held me while I sobbed thinking my baby was going to die. You are all so truely appreciated and cherished and I'm honoured to call each of you my friends.
Thank you everyone xxx
Cate (and little love licks from Charlie!)
---------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL STORY AND FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR CHARLIE (Set up by friends of Cate's)
Charlie is the love of Cate’s life.
And vice versa.
With his beautiful and affectionate nature, Charlie is ready to love, and be loved by, everyone he meets.
Inseparable for 14 years, Charlie was rescued by Cate as a tiny puppy, and since then they have been completely dedicated to one other. Cate and Charlie are now facing a frightening and time-critical challenge.
Charlie has a fast-growing cancerous tumour on his liver - a hepatocellular adenoma. Left untreated, this tumour will kill him within about 5-6 months. The good news is that the tumour has been caught early, that Charlie is otherwise in great shape, and vets say that say if he gets surgery within the next two weeks there is an excellent chance of recovery. In fact it is likely to be a complete cure.
But the surgery is expensive - about $8500 (without complications, considerably more if complications arise), so we are setting up this fund to help Charlie get the surgery he urgently needs. Cate has already spent the majority of her savings on the laparoscopic biopsy and diagnostic tests ($3200 already paid and counting) and just can't afford the surgery alone.

As a dedicated animal welfare advocate, Cate has rescued numerous animals, primarily dogs. You can see some of their stories below. However, over the last couple of years, Cate's rescue activities have had to slow down as she has struggled with severe, and at times crippling, Lupus and Rheumatoid Disease. Cate still does as much as she can to help others and animals in need, and despite days when her limbs are so swollen and painful she finds even the smallest tasks difficult, Cate still works, because she is determined to give Charlie the best care she possibly can. He is her family and her best friend.
CAN YOU HELP CATE SAVE CHARLIE?
Even the smallest donation would be appreciated. If there is any surplus donations, these will be donated to a local, ethical no-kill animal rescue group.
Here is a link to Cate and Charlie's Instagram account

Through these hard times, and through the recent loss of several close family members, including her mother less than 2 years ago, the one that has been there for Cate has been Charlie, her 14 y.o.maltese x, her best friend and constant companion. He has been with Cate since puppyhood, and she calls him her furry bestie.

Cate was also the original rescuer of 'Marilyn the Mastiff'. She was instrumental in fundraising for Marilyn, caring for her, paying for some of Marilyn's initial vet bills herself, finding a proper rescue group to take her on, and eventually finding her an amazing forever family. Six years on, Marilyn lives the best life a dog could live!
The video Cate made to fundraise for Marilyn .
Here is Marilyn in the pound before her rescue:

Marilyn (and Charlie) immediately after her first bath the day after Cate took her home.

Marilyn now!

Lucy's rescue:
Winter 2014, Cate is sitting under an abandoned house in her pyjamas, attempting to coax out an elderly dog who had been left behind when the owner suddenly passed away. The owner's family had taken he one dog and left the other one to die. The call for help had come in urgently - hence the pyjamas.
Two hours later, the elderly dog, named Lucy, finally came to Cate and accepted some food. She was in terrible shape. The family was tracked down and Cate convinced them to sign over ownership of the dog. Cate, together with a friend, found Lucy a wonderful home to live out the rest of her days. She was 14 when Cate rescued her. She lived another year.
The photos of Lucy on the day of her rescue have not been added because they're incredibly distressing and too graphic, but here is Lucy once settled in her new home. Happy, very loved, back at a healthy well-fed weight, and as you can see, very comfortable!

Those are just two of the many.
Charlie after his first surgery to diagnose the tumor:

More about Charlie's diagnosis and prognosis for those that wish to have more details:
Charlie's diagnosis: hepatocellular adenoma (liver cancer/liver tumor).
Surgery needed: Liver Lobectomy.
Charlie's tumor is quite small – 1.7-2cm – as it has been caught early. Cate is so dedicated to Charlie that she noticed the slight changes in him that might otherwise have passed un-noticed, and this dramatically increases his chances of survival, both during the surgery and after. The tumour is in a favourable position, and only a small piece of liver needs to be removed. Up to 75% of a dog’s liver can be taken and starts to regenerate almost immediately. The odds in Charlie's case are very good.
Prognosis without surgery: the average survival without surgery is 270 days (8 months) but as Chaarlie is a senior dog and Cate would never let him suffer, it would more realistically be less than 5 months.
Prognosis with surgery: the average survival time with surgery is 1460 days (48 months/4 years). As the surgery would very likely be completely curative and Charlie is in such amazing condition for his age it would be entirely likely he could live out the rest of his life as a healthy dog and he could die as all dogs should!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about Cate and Charlie.
Please share their story and let's save Charlie!
Charlie with some pals at after a trip to the doggy beach!
Charlie at the "Oscar's Law" rally

Cate's favourite photo of them together:



Charlie had the surgery on Wednesday the the 15th of March at Small Animal Specialist Hospital at North Ryde in Sydney. (See original story below).
Charlie being taken in to surgery. I was a mess.
Here's what happened next:
The original tumour was quite small – 1.7-2cm – and it was believed to have been caught early. The known tumour was in a favourable position, and only a small piece of liver needed to be removed. Although there were risks involved the facts as we knew them meant that he had a good chance of being completely cured and a very high chance of survival. So I decided to go ahead with the surgery. Once the surgeons opened Charlie up they discovered a MUCH bigger problem; Aside from smaller tumour on the left lateral lobe (red circle in the picture below), there was a second HUGE tumour on the right of his liver, in fact his right medial and quadrate lobes were completely tumourised (blue circle), as well as the gallbladder (green). They removed all of both tumours. The surgeons made the decision to remove both tumours despite their size and severity based on Charlie's overall health and stability during the initial anaesthetic process. However as the removed the second tumour my beautiful Charlie went into cardiac arrest (heart attack) and for a moment died on the table. He did not respond to the drugs used to restart his heart so they had to open his chest and massage his heart until it started to beat on its own again. Thankfully he responded and was revived. These were the complications that were mentioned in the original post and although they were unlikely, the occurred. Charlie has spent a 3 of nights in the ICU at SASH (small animal specialist hospital) in North Ryde in Sydney. He is now in the critical care section, and is stabilising. However costs are mounting quickly. What was supposed to be an $8,000 surgery and hospital stay is now at about $11,000! This is far more than I've managed to raise (again, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AMAZING GENEROSITY SO FAR IT HAS HUMBLED ME AND BLOWN ME AWAY!) and contribute to myself. Before I got sick myself (see story below) I would have been able to access a loan to pay for this in its entirety. Right now it's simply not possible. I just don't earn enough for the banks to feel comfortable that I'm not a liability. Trying to access over $11,000 in 2 weeks would be a stretch for a lot people, so I'm sure if you're reading this you can understand.
The tumours and gallbladder that they removed from Charlie's liver.
Charlie after surgery in the ICU. (He was hyperthermic, with an erratic heart beat, very low blood pressure, a breathing tube and nasal tube inserted, on IV fentanyl (strong drugs), IV fluids, cathaters in each leg and one in his neck, and was critically ill. He would go on to need a blood transfusion and almost die a number of times throughout the night. )
I've had people tell me that it's ridiculous to spend this money on an old dog, that it's not appropriate to ask for help for 'just a dog'. To those people feel free to judge me, I really don't care. I love my dog like I love any other member of my family. He is my family. He's just furry and has 4 legs! I adore him and I'll do anything for him. He's everything to me. (Read the initial story below for more on mine and Charlie's history)
Here's a breakdown of the money I have I have managed to access:
•$3000 from a company that loans people money for their animals veterinary costs called VetPay (with an $18% interest rate).
• $1000 myself (the last of my savings after the costs for his diagnostic tests and initial laparoscopic biopsy and hospitalisation. See story below)
•$3800 from this campaign (-8% gofundme takes)
So basically I at present I owe at least another $4000 (and counting!) probably another $2000 on top of that by the time he's stable enough to go home. I have no idea how I'm going to manage that. I just have to trust. And pray and believe and stay positive, that the money will come from somewhere.
People have asked me why I have no pet insurance. Here's why; Charlie is 14. When I first got him there was no such thing as pet insurance. By the time it became a 'thing', Charlie was already too old and the one insurance company that would insure him excluded almost everything and made it pointless. So I started a 'Charlie fund' where I put money away each week for his medical costs as they occurred. In September 2014 I spent $5000 of that on his cruciate repair surgery and then the rest ($3200) on his initial tests, procedures and the $1000 for this operation. As I've been sick myself I've not managed to put as much in as I once could. I'm a responsible and dedicated dog owner. And the timing has just been really bad.
It's been so hard for me to accept help from people, especially when I'm so used to being the one called on to help. It's humbling and foreign and has been an exercise in character development. But everyone needs a little help sometimes and I'm learning that it's ok and not shameful. What matters is my boys little life and I'll do anything to help him. Thank you to everyone who is donating. To everyone who has shared and supported me with kind words and encouragement. To the people who have brought me dinner and coffees and held me while I sobbed thinking my baby was going to die. You are all so truely appreciated and cherished and I'm honoured to call each of you my friends.
Thank you everyone xxx
Cate (and little love licks from Charlie!)
---------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL STORY AND FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR CHARLIE (Set up by friends of Cate's)
Charlie is the love of Cate’s life.
And vice versa.
With his beautiful and affectionate nature, Charlie is ready to love, and be loved by, everyone he meets.
Inseparable for 14 years, Charlie was rescued by Cate as a tiny puppy, and since then they have been completely dedicated to one other. Cate and Charlie are now facing a frightening and time-critical challenge.
Charlie has a fast-growing cancerous tumour on his liver - a hepatocellular adenoma. Left untreated, this tumour will kill him within about 5-6 months. The good news is that the tumour has been caught early, that Charlie is otherwise in great shape, and vets say that say if he gets surgery within the next two weeks there is an excellent chance of recovery. In fact it is likely to be a complete cure.
But the surgery is expensive - about $8500 (without complications, considerably more if complications arise), so we are setting up this fund to help Charlie get the surgery he urgently needs. Cate has already spent the majority of her savings on the laparoscopic biopsy and diagnostic tests ($3200 already paid and counting) and just can't afford the surgery alone.
As a dedicated animal welfare advocate, Cate has rescued numerous animals, primarily dogs. You can see some of their stories below. However, over the last couple of years, Cate's rescue activities have had to slow down as she has struggled with severe, and at times crippling, Lupus and Rheumatoid Disease. Cate still does as much as she can to help others and animals in need, and despite days when her limbs are so swollen and painful she finds even the smallest tasks difficult, Cate still works, because she is determined to give Charlie the best care she possibly can. He is her family and her best friend.
CAN YOU HELP CATE SAVE CHARLIE?
Even the smallest donation would be appreciated. If there is any surplus donations, these will be donated to a local, ethical no-kill animal rescue group.
Here is a link to Cate and Charlie's Instagram account
Through these hard times, and through the recent loss of several close family members, including her mother less than 2 years ago, the one that has been there for Cate has been Charlie, her 14 y.o.maltese x, her best friend and constant companion. He has been with Cate since puppyhood, and she calls him her furry bestie.
Cate was also the original rescuer of 'Marilyn the Mastiff'. She was instrumental in fundraising for Marilyn, caring for her, paying for some of Marilyn's initial vet bills herself, finding a proper rescue group to take her on, and eventually finding her an amazing forever family. Six years on, Marilyn lives the best life a dog could live!
The video Cate made to fundraise for Marilyn .
Here is Marilyn in the pound before her rescue:
Marilyn (and Charlie) immediately after her first bath the day after Cate took her home.
Marilyn now!
Lucy's rescue:
Winter 2014, Cate is sitting under an abandoned house in her pyjamas, attempting to coax out an elderly dog who had been left behind when the owner suddenly passed away. The owner's family had taken he one dog and left the other one to die. The call for help had come in urgently - hence the pyjamas.
Two hours later, the elderly dog, named Lucy, finally came to Cate and accepted some food. She was in terrible shape. The family was tracked down and Cate convinced them to sign over ownership of the dog. Cate, together with a friend, found Lucy a wonderful home to live out the rest of her days. She was 14 when Cate rescued her. She lived another year.
The photos of Lucy on the day of her rescue have not been added because they're incredibly distressing and too graphic, but here is Lucy once settled in her new home. Happy, very loved, back at a healthy well-fed weight, and as you can see, very comfortable!
Those are just two of the many.
Charlie after his first surgery to diagnose the tumor:
More about Charlie's diagnosis and prognosis for those that wish to have more details:
Charlie's diagnosis: hepatocellular adenoma (liver cancer/liver tumor).
Surgery needed: Liver Lobectomy.
Charlie's tumor is quite small – 1.7-2cm – as it has been caught early. Cate is so dedicated to Charlie that she noticed the slight changes in him that might otherwise have passed un-noticed, and this dramatically increases his chances of survival, both during the surgery and after. The tumour is in a favourable position, and only a small piece of liver needs to be removed. Up to 75% of a dog’s liver can be taken and starts to regenerate almost immediately. The odds in Charlie's case are very good.
Prognosis without surgery: the average survival without surgery is 270 days (8 months) but as Chaarlie is a senior dog and Cate would never let him suffer, it would more realistically be less than 5 months.
Prognosis with surgery: the average survival time with surgery is 1460 days (48 months/4 years). As the surgery would very likely be completely curative and Charlie is in such amazing condition for his age it would be entirely likely he could live out the rest of his life as a healthy dog and he could die as all dogs should!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about Cate and Charlie.
Please share their story and let's save Charlie!
Charlie with some pals at after a trip to the doggy beach!
Charlie at the "Oscar's Law" rallyCate's favourite photo of them together:


Organizer
Cate Cameron
Organizer
Mosman NSW
