East Palestine Leo’s emergency vet bills

Hi my name is Andrea Belden my boyfriend is Zack Cramer. We were staying with my boyfriends grandparents in East Palestine with our two cats. They live on east Clark street within the 1 mile evacuation zone. My boyfriend and I were out to dinner in Chippewa when the train derailed. We went back to his grandparents house to get everyone out. His grandparents, our two cats, and their dog. The one animal that was affected was our almost two year old cat Leo. He had just gone to the vet on January 18th and was perfectly fine with no issues. I had noticed once we had gotten to where we evacuated to that Leo was having issues. His heart was racing, he wasn’t moving, and his breathing was very hard and labored. I thought he was just having a panic attack because of all of the excitement of the evacuation. So I laid him down on a pet bed next to food and water and turned down the lights. When I went to check on him in the morning, I noticed that he hadn’t moved from the spot I put him in the previous night. His heart was still racing and his breathing was still very hard and labored. We decided to take him to the emergency vet in Pittsburgh pvsec. They did some tests and told me he had congestive heart failure. He was admitted to the hospital. The next day they called and told me that his heart was enlarged, he had fluid around his heart and in his lungs, his blood pressure was severely low, and his liver enzymes were at 6.9%. A cats normal liver enzyme levels are 1%. So needless to say they were extremely high. At this point we knew that there was vynl chloride on the train. The vet then told me that in humans vynl chloride can effect the heart, lungs, liver, and skin. They put him on a diuretic medicine that would remove the fluid from his lungs and around his heart. The next day they told me that he was responding better to being in an oxygen kennel but his breathing was still very labored and fast. His blood pressure was still low. X-rays showed his heart was still enlarged and there was still fluid in his lungs and around his heart. He still wasn’t moving, not going to the bathroom, not eating or drinking. His liver enzyme levels also hadn’t changed. They put in an ng tube (nasal gastric tube) to put hydration into his system. They put him on a blood pressure medication to try and bring his blood pressure back up. I was told that he most likely had an underlying genetic heart disease that was triggered by vynl chloride poisoning. Typically with a diuretic the fluid in his lungs and around his heart should have cleared or at least changed. Also with heart disease the liver is not affected. At this point his bill was estimated $8,000. For the next two days really nothing had changed. He had started sitting up and meowing but not much else was improving with the intensive treatment that should have brought him out of congestive heart failure. The vet said he would need to stay for another few days. They estimated $15,000 to $18,000 with $11,000 being due that day to continue. I went with my boyfriends grandmother to the Norfolk Southern assistance center to ask for financial assistance with a letter from the vet saying that this was most likely caused by the vynl chloride. I was told by a representative that this was not something they would pay for now because it isn’t an emergency. They would possibly entertain paying this in the future and that I should file a damaged property claim but it would take weeks. At this point we couldn’t afford to keep going with Leo’s treatment and he wasn’t improving. Our options were come up with $11,000, take him home to suffer and eventually die, or put him to sleep. We didn’t want him to suffer anymore so we made the impossible decision to put him to sleep. I know nothing will make this right or bring him back but hopefully this can shed some light on the situation and force Norfolk Southern to take responsibility for the animal lives that they have impacted.

Thank you all for your help we don’t have the words to express how much we appreciate your help and support through this difficult time.

I have had some messages from some people who were not so kind so I want to be clear. I am not asking anyone to donate. This is an option for those who feel compelled to help. I would however appreciate if everyone would read Leo’s story on this page and talk about the thing’s happening in East Palestine. There are so many people who are unwilling to talk because they are afraid they won’t be believed. I’m sharing Leo’s story I have been bullied by a select few but the overall response is positive and I couldn’t be more grateful. It is important to both myself and Zack that everyone hears about Leo and hopefully his story gives others the confidence to come forward and speak. Norfolk Southern does not get to sweep us under the rug! They do not get to cover this up! So please share Leo’s story and let’s make Norfolk Southern take responsibility for the things that they have done to our communities because the effects far more than just the city of East Palestine and we do matter!

Update 02-20-23. I went down to the resource center in new Waterford that Norfolk Southern setup per their request to discuss our situation with Leo’s vet bills. I gave them the documentation showing what we owed and again they told me that it would have to be worked out later… again…we were however (with my attorneys approval) able to get the $1000 “ inconvenience fee”. So at least I can avoid collections with pvsec and get the remaining balance with them paid off. We still have to pay off the care credit cards that we used for Leo’s treatment. I want to thank everyone who has donated and everyone who has shared Leo’s story! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, this means the absolute world to my family. 

Update 03/20/2023. It has been one month since Norfolk Southern has told us that they would “look into this later”.  When is “later” going to come? It seems like they just wanted me to stop talking to media outlets about Leo.  Norfolk Southern has stirred up all of the chemicals while taking the dirt out from underneath the new tracks they had laid down. People are continuing to leave town to get away from it. Just in East Clark alone there are 9 empty houses. Gov Mike Dewine continues to downplay the entire situation even though local wells are testing positive for the chemicals. I appreciate all everyone has done for us in this troubling time but please keep sharing East Palestine. Keep the conversation going until Norfolk Southern does the right thing. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart!

Update 05/31/2023.  Norfolk Southern keeps beating around the bush when it comes to Leo’s vet bills. They have all of the information needed to pay us back the money for that but they keep coming up with excuses not to. The judge that is looking over the Norfolk Southern cases has limited the attorneys that are allowed to pursue cases against Norfolk southern. Unfortunately our attorneys did not make that list so now we have to get ahold of one of the few and see who can take our case for Leo. This is a bumpy road but I refuse to give up hope. Norfolk Southern continues to have train derailments all over the country weekly. Most recently about 40 minutes away from us in New Castle Pa. Norfolk Southern needs to be held accountable.