My name is Karissa and for those of you who know me, knows my dog Nalah means the world to me.  Nalah came into my life when I was 22 years young, when I was lost in the world, freshly graduated from college, with no idea what I wanted to do with life.  A lot of changes had happened during my senior year of college.  I had lost my beloved Step Dad to cancer, and moving home to see the aftermath and the toll it had taken on my Mom only created a dark place for me to come back to.  I knew I needed something more, something positive, something to make me become more responsible in my ways.  I decided one day to go to the shelter to "look around" at the dogs when my Mom decided to tag along.  Needless to say, Nalah stole both mine and my moms heart at first sight.   A few days later she was mine- I adopted her and it was the best $86 I had ever spent...

Last December 2014, I noticed Nalah had a very large mass on her lower back.  I remember over Christmas time really noticing how large it had became and something in my gut told me this wasn't normal.  I took her to the vet right after Christmas and on New Year's Eve, my vet confirmed that it was a Mast Cell Tumor and that it needed to be removed.  For those of you not famililar with Mast Cell Tumors, it is a form of cancer.  There are different "Grades" of it: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3.  MCT can actually spread to their lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, and other organs.  Without having it removed and biopsied we wouldn't have known.  January 7, 2015 is when we scheduled her for surgery and all went well.  Nalah's was a Grade 2, meaning she would be at risk for more to grow.

At the end of July 2016 (two months ago) I notice there was another mass in the same spot where her last one was removed.  Sure enough, it was another MCT and we scheduled her second surgery.  I noticed last weekend that Nalah had a lump on her head, which immediately set off red flags for me.  I made her an appointment for today (September 8, 2016) and had the lump tested.  Sure enough, she has another MCT and is scheduled for her third surgery on September 16, 2016...

As you can imagine, I am devastated.  My heart hurts to even ask for help but I am at a loss.  Her surgeries have been very expensive, and because a third one is needed 2 months after her second surgery, I am struggling.  If Nalah was much older and her days were limited, I would allow her to live out the rest of her days peacefully sleeping on her favorite dog beds we have scattered around our place.  Except, she still has SO MUCH LIFE left to her and I feel in my heart this is what is best.  Even though Nalah is a dog, she has done SO MUCH for me, has brought light in my life during the darkest times, has been a shoulder to cry on, has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Third times a charm, right? 

From the bottom of my hurting heart, I am asking for a small donation to help Nalah so we can afford her surgery. The gratitude and appreciation I will feel will never be able to be shown to any of you who donate.  Just please know, I am still thankful even if you are unable to donate.  Please at least share this on your wall and pray, send positive vibes, whatever it is you believe in. 

So much love,

Karissa & Nalah