Eight years ago, Arya was rescued at age two. She had every reason not to trust people. Instead she chose love, and she has been giving it freely ever since.
Arya is Brad's best friend, his constant companion for 8 years, and the dog who welcomed me, Bengisu, into their family almost 5 years ago with a wagging tail and zero hesitation. She has been our flower girl. She is best friends with our cat and has parented many kittens. She has hiked trails, attended Taylor Swift themed street parties, and cuddled her way into the hearts of everyone she has ever met.
She will turn 10 next month. She should have many more years ahead of her.
Three weeks ago everything changed.
Arya began losing weight months ago. We took her to her regular vet repeatedly and were told it was likely dietary. We asked for x-rays. We were told it wasn't worth it. We tried five different diets over five months while Arya quietly got sicker.
On April 3rd we got a second opinion. X-rays immediately revealed a large abdominal mass and fluid around her lungs. Two days later we were in the emergency vet at 2:30am draining nearly a liter of fluid from her chest so she could breathe.
After multiple specialists, ultrasounds, and cytology from the University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, our specialist is highly concerned this is lymphoma - one of the most treatable cancers in dogs, with an 80-90% remission rate and 12-18 months or more with the right treatment.
We are fighting for her. We have an oncology appointment Monday. We are not giving up. She is not ready to give up on life. She is still enthusiastic for pets, excited for treats, jumping up for car rides.
But we need help.
This has been the hardest year of our lives. We tragically lost Brad's stepmother of 20+ years during Christmas. My father started battling Stage IV lung cancer. I lost my job I moved to the US for along with my work visa for months . And through every single dark moment, Arya was there, tail wagging, head in our laps, asking for belly rubs.
Now it is our turn to show up for her.
Current veterinary bills are already over $4,000 and we have not yet started treatment. Chemotherapy treatment is expected to add significantly to that. Every dollar donated goes directly to giving Arya the fighting chance she deserves.
She survived a drug ring. She chose love when she had every reason not to. She has been the heart of our family through the hardest moments we have ever faced.
Please help us give her more time to live life to the fulllest.
— Bengisu & Brad
