Hank’s Emergency Medical Procedure

It’s so hard to write this. August 17th, 2019 I rescued Hank from a kill shelter in California. Little did I know, he came with an army of fans who were rooting for him to find a happy ending. For the past two years it’s been just that; endless treats, a cat tree in the window with the best sunshine for napping, bird tv or Nick Jr on whenever I would leave... you name it, Hank got it. Hank’s story has brought so many people together on his Instagram page @hankthescottishfold that the compassion they had for him has spilled over into helping countless other cats find homes. In one week through Hank’s page, we found 23 cats about to be euthanized in kill shelters new homes! That’s why I’m hoping his community can pull together to help me save one more special cat - Hank, himself. Two weeks ago, I noticed Hank would occasionally have strings of drool which was unusual. It progressed to him having difficulty swallowing. His vet referred me to a more equipped doctor who today discovered a large, hard mass under Hank’s tongue. There are two possible outcomes - 1) he has a severely clogged salivary gland which needs to be surgically removed or 2) he has a very aggressive form of oral cancer. In order to find out which, Hank needs an CT scan and possible biopsy surgery ASAP. This alone is estimated to be in the $2000 range (the surgery to remove a clogged salivary gland would be in the $4-6,000 range on top of this biopsy cost), but I will know more exact numbers on Thursday when he has his consult with the feline surgeon. I’m coming to his community now because this is a horrible time for me financially. I was just accepted to Columbia University in New York and have put my savings into moving our lives (Hank, Xola, and mine) halfway across the country next month to pursue this once in a lifetime opportunity. If I could get my money back and put it into Hank’s vet care, I would, but unfortunately that’s not an option. Right now, I am caring for Hank at home by giving him subcutaneous IV fluids once a day and hand feeding him high calorie cat food because that’s the only way he can get nutrition due to the tumor. If you guys can spare a few dollars towards the diagnostic testing, I would be so thankful and will be sure to post the vet bill so you know where your funds went. If Hank is a candidate for oral surgery to remove a clogged salivary gland, I will continue fundraising/use any additional funds to go towards that expense. If it turns out to be cancer, the prognosis and Hank’s quality of life will need to be heavily weighed before any further steps are taken. In the event that no additional treatment is deemed to be in his best interest, all remaining funds will be refunded to donors. If just 2,000 or 20% of Hank’s followers donated one dollar each, we could cover the cost of the diagnostics. I don’t even know what I could possibly offer in return other than my eternal gratitude. If donating money is not a possibility for you right now, but you would still like to help, please share this with your community and help speed the word. Thank you all for your support ❤️