Help Grace get a life-saving surgery!

To many of us pet owners, our pets are part of the family. My kitty cat, Grace, is no different! Grace and I have been family for 3 years now, but she's recently suffered from some medical problems that have led to high veterinary bills. In 2013, Grace had a grand mal seizure which led to a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, which is a parasitic disease that can cause cysts to form in the brain. We treated her for this and she was fine for a full year. Last March, she had another grand mal seizure and also several smaller, less scary ones. A repeat vet visit showed that her toxoplasmosis was not effectively treated and she required a longer course of treatment. Unfortunately, this treatment caused Grace to develop an esophageal stricture - a narrowing of her esophagus that makes it very hard for her to swallow.

So far, we've been able to manage this condition with feeding her only very mushy wet food and giving her only liquid medications to prevent further seizures. However, esophageal strictures can actually be cured by a procedure called ballooning. This is when the vet scopes the kitty's throat and manually dilates it, allowing her to eat more comfortably and decreasing the risk of choking. This is typically done 3 to 5 times over a few months to prevent recurrence of the stricture. Because esophageal strictures can continue to worsen over time, treatment for a cure is the best way to help her. At this time, she's been continuing to lose weight and it appears her stricture may be worsening already. Getting the balloonings will actually cure her stricture and she will not need any future treatment. 

Unfortunately for both Grace and me, a full course of treatment would be at minimum $4,000.00. To date, veterinary visits, diagnostics, and prescriptions have cost over $1,000.00 - but she's my best friend and she's worth every penny! I want to do what is best for my kitty so she can live a long, happy life, but I can't do it without your help!

A little history on the kitty cat:
I adopted Grace in 2011, when she was 8 years old. At this time, she had been living in the shelter for almost a year. Before her arrival, she had been stuck in a cat carrying crate for an entire week. Since her adoption day, she's been the sweetest cat a pet lover could want. Not only does she snuggle with me every night, but she waits at the door for me to come home every day. Her hobbies include getting into the shower with me (and other water activities in general...weirdo), playing with a weird piece of green fabric that came with her from the shelter, and ignoring any and all other toys I buy her. Her favorite place to sleep is on my pillow....specifically with my head. She's a real loving girl and deserves more than 3 years of happiness in her forever home. 

Any and all help that you can offer would be appreciated! The first of 3 or more treatments starts at about $1,400.00 and further treatment are $800 each.