In the early hours of Sunday, October 20th, our family went through one of the most horrific experiences of our lives. My sister’s beloved cat, Winnie, was perched at the bottom of her favorite cat tree when it suddenly fell. We rushed her to the on-call emergency veterinary clinic in Sechelt, where the vet informed us she had suffered a traumatic head injury. Due to limited equipment, they couldn’t provide adequate care and advised us to monitor her closely. Despite numerous consultations in the days that followed, her bleeding recurred, leading to urgent advice to go to Canada West, a leading veterinary hospital in Vancouver. Given the severity of her injuries, we weren’t sure she would even survive the ferry ride over.

Once they arrived, the staff at Canada West helped us understand the full extent of Winnie’s injuries. An X-ray revealed a mildly enlarged liver, spleen, and moderately enlarged heart. A CT scan showed multifocal skull fractures, fractures of the temporomandibular joint, and internal bleeding in the intracranial space and nasal sinuses. Most concerning, a blood test confirmed that Winnie had severe anemia from blood loss and would need a transfusion. Fortunately, Canada West had a supply of the correct feline blood type, and Winnie received a transfusion. Although it helped, Winnie continued to bleed, and the following night she needed another blood transfusion as well as a plasma transfusion to restore her clotting factors. This was especially frightening, as it used the last unit of blood Canada West had available. Thankfully, the next day we received incredible news—Winnie’s vitals were excellent, and her blood levels remained steady above anemic levels.

While we are overjoyed Winnie is recovering, this journey has been emotionally exhausting and financially overwhelming. At $1,200 a night, $1,500 per transfusion, plus additional expenses for imaging, consultations, and general care, my sister and her boyfriend have spent nearly $15,000 to save Winnie. Unfortunately, this does not include future expenses like possible TMJ surgery and cardiology appointments to assess her enlarged heart.

I’m reaching out on behalf of my sister, her boyfriend, and, of course, Winnie. Any contribution, big or small, will go directly to covering Winnie’s medical expenses and future treatments, helping ease the significant financial burden my sister is facing. Your support will not only aid in Winnie’s recovery but also give my sister and her boyfriend the strength to navigate this difficult time.

If you are unable to donate, we kindly ask that you share this page with others. The generosity and kindness shown mean the world to us, and we can’t thank you enough for standing by and helping Winnie heal and return to the happy, loving cat she’s always been.

We also want to thank the blood donors whose contributions saved Winnie’s life. Without access to feline blood products, her survival wouldn’t have been possible. This experience has highlighted how vital pet blood donors are in emergencies like Winnie’s. If you have a healthy cat or dog, please consider researching and enrolling them as blood donors. Just as in human medicine, pet blood donations can mean life or death for animals in need. The process is safe and done under veterinary supervision—your pet’s donation could be a miracle for another family in their time of need.

Thank you for supporting Winnie, for your kindness toward my sister, and for considering ways to make a difference for other pets in need. We are incredibly grateful for your help in giving Winnie a second chance at a healthy, happy life.