Hey all, my name is Aaron and I am starting this fundraiser on behalf of my brother Adam and his best friend, Caesar.

On Wednesday February 18th we experienced one of the scariest moments of our lives. Caesar went from resting comfortably on his favourite chair to all of a sudden falling off his chair, yowling and flailing uncontrollably. He was immediately rushed to the nearest emergency specialist vet and we were terrified that we might lose Caesar so suddenly.

Caesar was stabilized and given medications, oxygen and fluid support. After neurological diagnoses were performed including an MRI and spinal tap we discovered that Caesar had suffered a stroke in the cerebellum region of his brain, which heavily impacted his balance and mobility. Additionally Caesar’s ability to blink was affected and during his time in hospital he unfortunately developed painful ulcers on both of his eyes. Separately it was also discovered that Caesar had ear infections present in both of his ears which may have affected his inner ear bones and contributed to his stroke.

Unfortunately, despite additional cardiac examination to try to identify the cause of the stroke, nothing could be definitively identified as the primary cause of Caesar’s stroke. It is hard not knowing what caused this stroke – sometimes there just isn’t a clear answer.

What we can say for certain though is that Caesar is a fighter.

He was discharged on Sunday, February 22, and somehow, amazingly, he’s recovering. He’s walking again (a little wobbly, but walking!), and he’s back to being his normal, silly, affectionate self. The same cat who follows Adam around the house, demands attention at the worst times, and somehow always knows when you need comfort.

The total vet bill came to $16,438.62. We didn’t hesitate to say yes to the tests and treatments because he’s family. But it’s a huge financial hit.

If you’re able to donate, please know that absolutely anything helps, truly. Even a few dollars makes a difference. And if you can’t donate, sharing this or sending good thoughts means just as much. We are so grateful for our support system and feel incredibly lucky to have people who care about Caesar.

We love and appreciate you all more than you know. Thank you on behalf of Caesar and Adam for reading, for sharing, and for being there for us.

-Aaron James