Support Dana with the loss of her boys, Amos & Henry

On October 1, 2008, Dana adopted Amos. On June 15, 2009, Dana and Amos adopted Henry. For over almost 16 years, these three have been known lovingly as "Dana and the boys."

On July 15, 2024, Dana came home to find Henry unexpectedly passed away on their living room floor. Henry had lived with and fought Mast Cell Tumor cancer for a decade - defying all the odds. While they knew the end of Henry's beautiful life was near, this was shocking. Just two days after Henry's passing, Amos became ill. Prior to that, Amos was the epitome of health: great blood work and the energy and playfulness of a puppy. Several ER vet and local vet trips later, Amos was found to have a mass on his spleen on July 27.

The quickest Dana could get her boy in for an ultrasound was July 31 - in Charlotte at Carolina Veterinary Specialists. When Dana and Amos were there, it was found that Amos had several large masses on his spleen, as well as suspected masses on his liver, pancreas, and lungs. He also had a bout of pancreatitis, so CVS admitted him to treat that.

On August 1, Dana held Amos in her arms as she and a specialist came up with a plan of care for the cancer, awaiting the official radiology and pathology reports. Knowing the masses were likely cancer, they planned to get Amos through the pancreatitis, and then give him the most comfortable life until it was his time. They were hoping for months, not minutes. Traumatically, Amos passed away a few hours later - and very unexpectedly - in his mama's arms. The loss of Amos was not on anyone's radar.

Dana and the boys' beloved vet, Julie, scoured the vet notes on Amos, and she fully believes that he died of a broken heart from the loss of his best buddy, Henry. She thinks that because of his grief, he had a massive inflammatory response, and since the cancer had spread, that his little body just couldn't overcome it (it was confirmed Amos had hermangiosarcoma, or "every vet's worst nightmare," a silent killer).

Dana had pet insurance for Amos, but they are only covering a fraction of all the costs, and insurance for Henry's last few months of treatments were denied. There are also holistic medicines, speciality foods, and travel costs to consider. The vet-related bills are hefty and a significant burden.

So, our dear friend needs our help financially. Dana has always said, "Amos and Henry were the boys I grew in my heart when I couldn't grow them in my belly." They were her life, her pride and joy. If you ever witnessed the three of them together, there was no denying their deep bond - Dana was their mama and they were her boys.

And, we all know that Dana is always there for us when we're in need, no questions asked and no hesitation - to lend a hand, help with yard work, run errands, be a shoulder to cry on, solve our problems, listen without judgement, help us dance it out, provide a sense of steady and calm, or remind us of how beautiful life is.

If you are able to help financially, please do so here or via Dana's Venmo (@Dana-Stachowiak). We have estimated her needs based on bills, and this is less than what is needed; we just want to make sure Dana can grieve without worry.