Hi, I’m Barbara!

I’m a 9-month-old corgi who loves to play fetch, chew on squeaky toys, and show the big dogs at the park that I can keep up with the best of them! I might be small, but I’m fearless—a real tough cookie! But lately, I’ve been facing something no pup should have to go through, and I need your help.

You’re probably wondering how a playful pup like me ended up blind. Believe me, everyone wants an answer to that! It all started earlier this month when my eyes began hurting a lot. My parents rushed me to the vet, where I was told I had pink eye. I started taking eye drops, but instead of getting better, my vision began to fade. Within a week, I woke up and everything was black. My right eye became so swollen that I had to be rushed to the emergency vet, where my parents spent $732.19 on tests that didn’t provide any answers.

The vet referred me to a specialist, and when I saw the ophthalmologist, my parents got the devastating news—both of my retinas are detached, and I’m completely blind. It turns out I never had pink eye. Instead, the doctors suspect I may have a rare fungal infection to Florida that I could’ve picked up from my breeder or even from my biological parents. Testing and medication to investigate this possibility cost another $1,100, and we’re still waiting on results for the fungal infections. I came back clean for infectious diseases!

If the tests don’t provide answers, I’ll need to see a neurologist for an MRI and a spinal tap to figure out what’s going on. It’s a race against time to get to the root cause and start treatment, so my retinas might have a chance to reattach. The ophthalmologist is hopeful that with the right medication and therapy, my vision could come back because I’m still so young.

My parents have done everything they can to help me, but they’ve already spent over $2,000 on vet visits, tests, and medications, maxing out their credit cards. Future treatments, including possible MRIs, spinal taps, therapies, and medications, are overwhelming—especially with the missed work my mom has had to take to care for me.

My mom loves me so much; she kisses my forehead all the time and tells me we’ll get through this together, but I know she’s worried about how to make it all work. That’s where you come in!

If everyone reading this could donate just $1, it would make a HUGE difference. Your support would help pay for the medical care I need and give my mom a little relief so she can focus on helping me heal instead of stressing over bills.

Every dollar goes directly to my treatment and quality of life. Whether it’s $1, $5, or whatever you can spare, my family and I are so grateful. Thank you for helping this tough little cookie get the care she needs to fight this battle and hopefully, see the world again!

With love and wags,

Barbara

UPDATE (2/12/25): Barbie has regained sight! She still needs to be on medication, probably for the rest of her life. It costs $100 a month just for one prescription! We are still swimming in debt from all her appointments, tests, and other medications. Each time we go to the eye doctor it’s about $130-150. I was in the process of getting her pet insurance but during the 14 day waiting period we got this bad news…now no pet insurance will cover anything to do with her eyes since it’s considered “pre-existing”. We fully appreciate any help we get, and we understand how tough times are.