Please support Byron fighting FIP

Admitting you need help, especially on a public platform is never easy. Sharing our story is also hard because the scare, the worry and the battle we are facing is currently very present in our lives.

My cat Byron is a 12 year old black tabby with huge golden eyes, his personality, energy, curiosity and love for life would easily trick anyone to believe he is much younger in spirit. Every day before heading to sleep I spend about 30 minutes with him: he gets some treats, purrs in my lap, sometimes we play a little, it is our little check in time. Thanks to our ritual I have noticed over the course of two nights that he had slowly become less energetic, drifted into lethargy, begged to sleep at my side, and expressed that he is in pain. Something was off. We rushed to the vet the following day. Initially our local vet gave us some medication for his fever and drew some blood. Since his mood and fever didn’t improve in 2 days we went back to the vet. By this time he also stopped eating and spent the whole day sleeping. Based on his bloodwork that was the first time FIP was mentioned. The vet examined him through ultrasound looking for a liquid in his stomach that could affirm the diagnosis. As she couldn’t see anything she has sent us home.

The mention of FIP sent me through a whole night of research on the internet. I have ended up in a secret support group and was referred to a new vet that could possibly help us - since FIP aka feline infectious peritonitis is a viral disease (coronavirus) of cats used to be a death sentence.

That morning Byron lay next to me, his little body now half the size as a few days prior. He purred quietly and put his paw on my arms. Him reaching out felt like his last cry for help and his goodbye at the same time. So we packed up and went to visit the new doctor who is regarded as the savior of lost causes. He never gives up on an animal even if they have been abandoned by other doctors as lost causes, he is always available, a master diagnostician, labeled the “miracle doctor” by pet parents.

We had to start all procedures from scratch, because of his state Byron was immediately put on IV, and while the fluid was dripping we were waiting for the blood test. With the paperwork at hand and a much more thorough ultrasound the doctor was able to draw a vial of ugly yellow liquid confirming the FIP diagnosis. We locked eyes and I have agreed to start treatment immediately. That was day 1 of 12 days of daily trips to the vet. Visits that would last 3-5 hours since Byron had to receive IV treatment for 8 days, he would get numerous medical shots, bloodwork every 3 days and after careful daily examinations from our vet he would slowly improve. Day by day I would witness little signs of life fighting its way back to his body, fight off the fluid build up, he started to eat, to purr again, to have energy to stare out the window for hours and meow and beg us to be let out of the house again - which he is forbidden to do now. If you would ask him he would tell you he feels cured. However he doesn’t understand that his daily meds and confinement are only the very beginning of a 84 day + 84 day recovery period.

But you may ask how is he still alive?

The surreal twist to the story is that while FIP is considered officially lethal to cats, in 2019 a study led by veterinarian Niels Pedersen found that an 84-day course of GS-441524 (today the main component of Remdesivir) cured cats with a 90% success rate. The good news has only one catch: the drug is only available on the black market as it is still not approved in most countries. The treatment involves daily injections over the course of 12 weeks and additional medications to support his immune system with constant monitoring of the bloodwork. Every day feels like an episode of twilight zone where my Byron who is supposed to be dead by now is still alive due to not receiving a non existing drug.

I have started this fundraiser because while Byron is on his road of treatment and recovery due to me sacrificing everything in my power to give him the best care I could I have had to realize I too need some help because the past weeks have been hard both emotionally and financially. I have reached the threshold of my savings for the whole procedure already.

The vet visits so far have added up to roughly: $978 / £774

This includes both vets, diagnosis, blood panel, IV treatments, medication cost.

The vials of the GS injection cost $63 / £50 and we go through a vial every 2-3 days.

To use a cliche but truly mean it at this point every little can help and would mean literally the world = life to Byron and me. If you can donate, it will go along way to help me help him. All funds raised will go directly for his treatment and I will keep everyone updated on his progress here!