Those of you who know me, know Bambi. She’s my constant companion on every adventure, always giving a silly greeting and making sure no one is left behind. She's currently 3 years old and I'm hoping she can make it to her 4th birthday in September.

Recently, Bambi needed an emergency blood transfusion. After a number of tests, we discovered she has Precursor-Targeted Immune-Mediated Anemia (PIMA), a rare autoimmune condition where her immune system attacks her own bone marrow, preventing her from making red blood cells.

On her 1st birthday, Bambi went through a similar health crisis and needed two transfusions. At the time, we never found out the cause as her clinical presentation was inconclusive after going through multiple rounds of testing and specialty consults.

Even with Trupanion, one of the best pet insurance options available, each episode has cost several thousand dollars out of pocket. Her recent hospitalization and transfusion came to over $10,000, and I was still left with $4,000-6,000 to cover myself each time she was hospitalized. Her medications are another $200/month after insurance, and there will be frequent blood tests, checkups, and possibly more transfusions in the future. She’s also recently been found to have a heart murmur, which may require further monitoring.

We don’t know what the future holds for Bambi yet. Dogs who respond to medication can potentially live long, happy lives. But PIMA is also a condition that can take months to respond to treatment and she may still need more transfusions. I’m doing everything I can to take the best care of her, but between medications, vet visits, and anticipating another transfusion, I’m terrified I won’t be able to continue covering the costs of her life-saving care.

If you have the means and would like to help contribute to Bambi’s care, or if you're able to share this with your network, I would be so grateful.

Thank you so much for reading and for supporting Bambi and me.