Los Angeles

Hi everyone! bunnie pushing an update here while there's a tiny bit of downtime. It's unideal to do this so late at night, but I've been swamped. Jumping right to it with explicit asks at #6; #5 is a bit activating/triggering. 1. I fortunately got help getting to a grocery store today; why that's relevant (per previous update): I've been having trouble with the Metro system and realized while looking into it that they were recently hacked...? Hopefully I can get in touch with them soon to inquire about their low income programs as I cannot afford fare. 2. But YES, grocery store: I was able to get some food today with coupon wizardry, thankfully, but the sad emotional reality is that like most other families, we are doing worse as the COL increases. I have been fairly hungry for a few weeks and getting faint, etc. More activating content will be at the bottom of this update. 3. I sacrificed my personal food for more cat food, and stretching the litter has been helping. My cats have had an increased appetite, which is...good! They weren't eating enough for their weight before no matter what I tried (picky). This puts me, however, at 4 cans per day, mixed with dry food. I have enough for two weeks, no more. I have not been able to access the pet food pantry at all. Anything at all is helpful. 4. I am applying to jobs, but I think at this point, my career "break" has gotten so significant that I am unemployable. This is a longer story, but while I am continuing to try, I just do not know. I'm sorry if this is very frustrating; I don't know what else to say. I really wish this weren't the case. Public transportation isn't very reliable in my area, so in-person jobs are also extremely limited. 5. The more activating things: I truly cannot lose more weight, and I can see my family burn out on so much. At food pantries/distros, most of what you can get is vegetables and canned food with minimal protein options, and I'm not getting enough to function or maintain whatever bit of healthiness I have. I am also experiencing mild dysmorphia and even a little dysphoria seeing my face get more gaunt in the mirror, and it is so hard mentally right now. I'm losing hair, my shoes are falling apart and uncomfortable, and I don't know what to do. 6. I truly could always use more cat food, but on the cat wishlist, I also wedged in some listings for trash bags to get rid of their litter (no more genie refills), a small pot so that I can keep my food separate at home (no small pots at all), and some freezer bags so I can try to prep food better than I have been. I know times are hard, but if you can drop me a kind line on my Padlet page or share my campaign with a wider network or share funds or send me something on my cat wishlists, it would be really helpful. I was desperate last year, and I continue to be very desperate; as you all know, things are just getting harder for everyone across the board, and I really wish I could get something more sustainable so that I'm not underwater all the time. My birthday is coming up soonish-ish, and I really would be so grateful for any bit of help, in whatever shape or form. Thank you so much for reading - I know this was a much more challenging update in certain ways. I truly appreciate your attention, time, and care for me. And I hope, as always, that you are doing all right. I hope you're staying safe and able to find joys wherever possible, whenever possible.

After much thought and reflection, we want to share that we’ve made the difficult decision to officially close this campaign. As a result, future donations are now closed while we work through the process of finalizing and disbursing the funds. While we didn’t reach our original goal, we are incredibly grateful for every single person who contributed. Your generosity, encouragement, and belief in this effort meant more to us than we can fully express. This has been a meaningful journey for both Abby and me, and we’ve learned so much along the way. To honor your support, Abigail and I will be matching all donations dollar-for-dollar, bringing the total funds to $5,500. Over the coming weeks, we will be working closely with our legal partners to ensure the funds are properly allocated. We are committed to transparency and will be providing a detailed update on exactly how your contributions have made an impact. Thank you again for being part of this journey with us.

Thank you everyone who has donated so far! We are 20 days away from surgery date and received X-rays and lab work. Cosmo is in good health and his medication has been helping a ton, he currently is taking 3 different medications every day to ease the inflammation and pain in his knee. He is very frustrated that he isn't getting to play or exercise at the level that he is used to. The X-ray's confirmed that Cosmo needs this surgery sooner rather than later and I have been in the process of researching all of the things we need for his aftercare. I have purchased an orthopedic bed, a pen for the living room, a donut/cone, and am in the process of researching bed/couch ramps, leg slings, brain toys and any additional things that will make his road to recovery easier on us. Thanks community for showing up for us.

Hi Friends and Family, We’ve been waiting on the biopsy results to get some answers. While we are grateful to have news, unfortunately, the news is not what we were hoping for. Alissa has been diagnosed with stage 4 midline glioma, which means there is cancer in her brain and spine. Over the past several weeks, she has already been through so much and she continues to show us just how strong she truly is. While she has regained a small amount of movement, she is still unable to walk at this time, and we are focused on helping her rebuild strength and independence. The next step is for Ali is to go to an inpatient rehab facility for about two weeks. The goal there is to help her gain as much strength as possible to prepare her body for treatment. After rehab, she will begin a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, which is expected to last around 30 days. This is a long road ahead, but we know Ali is strong, determined, and ready to fight! She is going to kick ass! We are holding onto hope and taking things one day at a time. We are so incredibly grateful for all the love, prayers, and support we’ve already received. Please continue to keep Alissa in your thoughts as she starts this next phase.