*Help Randy Travis (RT) Fight*

On November 19, 2025, Randy Travis—affectionately known as RT—was born with a cleft palate. From the very beginning, he faced challenges most never do. For the first five weeks of his life, RT had to be tube-fed until he was finally able to tolerate soft foods.

As he grew, eating remained dangerous. Food would become lodged in the roof of his mouth, and we had to be extremely careful to prevent aspiration. We tried countless food options just to help him gain weight and stay healthy. Despite our best efforts, on January 8, 2025, RT aspirated food, resulting in double pneumonia.

With no other options left, we rushed him to a specialist for emergency surgery to close his palate and prevent further life-threatening complications. RT fought bravely through surgery and initially did great. Sadly, just over 24 hours later, all of his sutures began coming apart. We were devastated to learn the sutures used were too large, placed under too much tension, and the reconstruction was not performed correctly.

Unsure of what to do next, we brought RT back to our veterinarian at home. She had to remove the remaining sutures, as they were becoming a foreign object in his body and causing further damage. Unfortunately, the roof of RT’s mouth is now severely compromised.

Our only hope is a long and difficult road ahead. RT will require *six or more months of tube feeding* to give his mouth time to heal and determine whether reconstruction is even possible. He currently has an esophageal feeding tube, which must be replaced every month.

If RT wasn't such a fighter, this decision might have been easier—but he is full of life, determination, and heart. Giving up on him is not an option.

The estimated cost for his continued care and necessary surgery is *around $10,000*, and we simply cannot do this alone.

Any donation—big or small—will go directly toward RT’s medical care and give him the chance he deserves. If you can’t donate, sharing his story means more than you know. Thank you for supporting RT and helping him continue to fight. ❤️