Bean the Kitten’s recovery

***Update from Michele:

First off; I’m absolutely blown away by the outpour of love and support of so many people. Maddie and I rescued Bean and I feel part of Maddie’s spirit lives in our Beanie Baby. Thank you all SO much for your love ❤️

For anyone invested in her recovery - I took her to Portland to have a consult with a specialist this morning. Upon examination, the vet determined she does not have a dislocated mandible, but that it is indeed fractured or broken near her right TMJ. This is a more difficult procedure. We will know more on Monday when I take her back for surgery and she gets a CT. Luckily, it appears that she does not have an abscessed tooth where they thought, just a laceration. The vet is worried that the top jaw line may be fractured as well which may result in teeth extraction though. Again, we will know more after the CT. The surgery will clamp her jaw shut for a few weeks to allow the jaw to heal correctly. Since she is young, she is hopeful it will be a healthy and accurate heal, though if it does not heal correctly, it can lead to a lifetime of difficulty eating. The vet did confirm that she is now blind in her left eye, and that this can lead to a tumor or glaucoma in the future and that her best bet would be to see an ophthalmologist to have it examined and likely removed.

It’s been an emotional, draining, and heartbreaking journey so far. But I will continue to be hopeful for our little Bean Sprouts full recovery and keep you all posted. ❤️‍

Again, thank you SO much! I cannot even wrap my head around this all.

Bean the Kitten and humans Michele and Mike need your help. Bean returned home suffering from traumatic blunt force injuries of unknown cause, including a hemorrhage behind her left eye, suspected detached retina resulting in at least partial blindness, and a dislocated mandible causing abscessed teeth. Miraculously, her skull and mandible were not fractured, but she will need surgery to remove the affected teeth and reset her jaw, which is likely to pop out again without treatment by a specialist. She may also require removal of her left eye, depending on how it heals. The first veterinary bill for a check-up, x-rays and necessary medications was nearly $1,000, which means there is a long road to recovery ahead, inevitably paved with even bigger vet bills.

Maddie and Michele rescued Bean, born March 17, 2022, when she was just three weeks old, after her mother disappeared. With an already full house, Michele wasn’t supposed to get another pet, but Maddie had agreed to no such restraint. Tiny and feisty and full of surprises, Bean and Maddie were kindred spirits. When Maddie was killed in a tragic car accident on June 18, 2022, it seemed that her spirit lived on in Bean — and now Bean’s life is at risk.

A mere 6 lbs, Bean enjoys playing fetch and attacking her canine siblings’ tails. She loves the water and can be found playing in sprinklers, chasing the stream of water from the hose or swimming in the river on family outings. No drinking water is safe from her tiny tongue. She loves to snuggle her humans’ necks and when Michele says “kisses,” Bean will lick the tip of her nose.

Your contribution will help cover vet bills, which could easily add up to $5,000 or more. Michele and Mike aren’t the type to ask for help, despite being all too willing to give it; on their behalf, we ask for your support for Bean's recovery and to help us hang onto this link to Maddie.