Frodo ate yarn for Second Breakfast
Donation protected
On the last day of school in June 2019, I got a text from the animal shelter asking me if I could foster three newborn kittens. They were only two days old and I was apparently their only hope. Sadly, two of the kittens crashed hard that evening, leaving one hamster-sized, resilient survivor.
Over the next two months, I did everything I could to help the little guy grow big and strong. I bottle-fed him every 2-3 hours. I wiped him with a baby wipe to help him go to the bathroom. I called the vet hotline frantic about life threatening diarrhea. Many teachers spend their summer breaks relaxing or working to make some extra cash. I spent mine sleep-deprived, helping this little baby grow up. He went everywhere with me- to a July 4th barbecue, to a volunteer orientation I ran at my school, and to visit friends. Once he was old enough to be neutered and adopted, little Frodo (named for the long treks to and from the shelter for his vet checks- 'We might as well be going to Mount Doom!') mewed his way into my heart and became part of of my crew.
A few days ago, Frodo managed to get into my crochet project bag while I was teaching a summer enrichment class over Zoom. I managed to pry the half-finished shawl from him, but it was too late. He apparently ingested several feet of yarn. The next day, he began vomiting, and I took him to our regular vet. He gave us some meds and took x-rays (inconclusive) and sent us home. He got really bad overnight, and I had to bring him to an emergency vet hospital. They diagnosed him with an obstruction and performed surgery to remove it. Ever a little fighter, Frodo pulled through. The vet even remarked that he gave everyone kisses and was very sweet.
Luckily, I have an insurance policy that will reimburse up to $5,000 of Frodo's vet bills. Unluckily, this incident is looking to cost far more than $5,000. I had to pay $1,962 for Frodo to be admitted to the hospital for 24 hours. The surgery was quoted at $4,494.60, but I was warned the charges may be higher. For every 24 hours Frodo remains at the hospital, I will need to pay an additional $819.
I am a speech-language therapist at a Title 1 public school in New York City, so I'm not exactly flush with cash. I'm willing to tighten my belt even further to pay off this debt ASAP. I owe it to this little survivor-turned-menace- who knocked over my TV during a Zoom dance class and cracked the screen, who drinks from my coffee mug when I'm not looking, who decided that a crochet project tucked away in a bag was the second breakfast he just HAD to have and so brought about An Unexpected Vet Bill. Frodo is the mischievous little boy I can't imagine living without.
Some of my friends asked if they could help, so I started this campaign. If you want to kick a few bucks to help me out, it would mean the universe to me. Frodo has plenty more expensive electronics to destroy in the future... but I'll certainly be keeping him away from the crochet.
Over the next two months, I did everything I could to help the little guy grow big and strong. I bottle-fed him every 2-3 hours. I wiped him with a baby wipe to help him go to the bathroom. I called the vet hotline frantic about life threatening diarrhea. Many teachers spend their summer breaks relaxing or working to make some extra cash. I spent mine sleep-deprived, helping this little baby grow up. He went everywhere with me- to a July 4th barbecue, to a volunteer orientation I ran at my school, and to visit friends. Once he was old enough to be neutered and adopted, little Frodo (named for the long treks to and from the shelter for his vet checks- 'We might as well be going to Mount Doom!') mewed his way into my heart and became part of of my crew.
A few days ago, Frodo managed to get into my crochet project bag while I was teaching a summer enrichment class over Zoom. I managed to pry the half-finished shawl from him, but it was too late. He apparently ingested several feet of yarn. The next day, he began vomiting, and I took him to our regular vet. He gave us some meds and took x-rays (inconclusive) and sent us home. He got really bad overnight, and I had to bring him to an emergency vet hospital. They diagnosed him with an obstruction and performed surgery to remove it. Ever a little fighter, Frodo pulled through. The vet even remarked that he gave everyone kisses and was very sweet.
Luckily, I have an insurance policy that will reimburse up to $5,000 of Frodo's vet bills. Unluckily, this incident is looking to cost far more than $5,000. I had to pay $1,962 for Frodo to be admitted to the hospital for 24 hours. The surgery was quoted at $4,494.60, but I was warned the charges may be higher. For every 24 hours Frodo remains at the hospital, I will need to pay an additional $819.
I am a speech-language therapist at a Title 1 public school in New York City, so I'm not exactly flush with cash. I'm willing to tighten my belt even further to pay off this debt ASAP. I owe it to this little survivor-turned-menace- who knocked over my TV during a Zoom dance class and cracked the screen, who drinks from my coffee mug when I'm not looking, who decided that a crochet project tucked away in a bag was the second breakfast he just HAD to have and so brought about An Unexpected Vet Bill. Frodo is the mischievous little boy I can't imagine living without.
Some of my friends asked if they could help, so I started this campaign. If you want to kick a few bucks to help me out, it would mean the universe to me. Frodo has plenty more expensive electronics to destroy in the future... but I'll certainly be keeping him away from the crochet.
Organizer
M.A. Camurati
Organizer
New York, NY
