It was Sunday January 20, 2019. The first trip that Lenny and my dad piled into the car and drove to Blue Pearl in Conshohocken. It was also the day that we were told that Lenny had a large mass in his bladder and it was cancer. We were given some options and returned the next day for surgery. They removed 25% of his bladder and felt that they successfully removed the tumor, however there are margins and you can never be 100% sure.
We continued our trips to Conshy. Having scheduled check ups and ultrasounds until one day we received the news we didn’t want to hear. The cells were back and growing and the fight was back on. Over the next two years, Lenny went through four different forms of chemotherapy and a long list of medications. We navigated the path with the amazing care of our oncologists and technicians all the while making sure that he had quality of life. Granted there were tough days post chemo but he would bounce back. Len was a warrior.
On May 15, 2021, we celebrated Len’s 10th birthday. A true milestone that we wanted to reach. The day after his birthday he started having trouble urinating. We took a ride back to Blue Pearl and they took blood to see if he had an urinary tract infection. Five days later it was worse and Lenny and my dad piled into the car to drive to Conshohocken. It would be the last time. We lost to a tumor we weren’t even fighting and were unaware of until that moment. We navigated and battled for 2 years and four months to the day. Lenny was a bull staying so strong until his final moments.
Without Blue Pearl we simply would have lost Lenny in January of 2019. We are forever grateful to them for keeping Lenny here as long as possible while still maintaining a high quality of life. The care we received was more than just medical expertise. We had emotional and spiritual care and these special people were part of our lives. We had three brilliant oncologists who were paramount to his well being. In addition there were so many others involved including an unbelievable veterinary oncology nurse named Katherine Tello. She was a beacon during a rough time. When the news would go the other way, there was a hand on my dad's shoulder consoling him. When Covid prevented my dad from being in the building, he would receive emails with pics of her and Lenny. Lenny adored her and it was quite mutual. Katherine is still in our lives and it is from her that I came to know about Frankie’s Friends (https://www.frankiesfriends.org).
Cancer treatment is not cheap and Lenny’s strength allowed us to treat him until his final days. I am fortunate enough to have parents that were willing to take on this massive financial burden without second thought. Not all people are fortunate enough to be able to make that sacrifice which is why I am raising money for a non profit organization called Frankie’s Friends. Pets face life-threatening illnesses and injuries and need emergency and specialty veterinary care to save their lives. However, the cost of providing these lifesaving treatments are beyond the means of many loving families. Frankie’s Friends is a non-profit that helps families afford the necessary care that their animals need. We want to raise money to help families deal with the expense of caring for their dogs battling cancer and all funds we raise will go to Frankie’s Friends.
To honor my best friend I decided to pick up my sneakers and train for the Broadstreet Run on April 30, 2023. Each of the 10 miles that I run will be dedicated to each year he lived. Something that just so happened to fit the 10 theme perfectly was also a goal of raising $10,000 for Frankie’s Friends.
Lenny was the most perfect imperfect dog. We miss him a great deal and this is our way of telling his story. Help us meet our goal! Join our team in the run! Help us pay it forward in the honor of our fallen brave friend. A dog named Lenny.
I love you forever my boy. This is for you.
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