On Sunday, April 6th, we were involved in a devastating four-vehicle accident on the Ventura Highway. Tragically, one life was lost that day, and many others were left injured. I was in the front passenger seat, the area that took the brunt of the impact. I sustained head and chest contusions, but miraculously, no broken bones. My body is bruised, but my heart is shattered.

My 11-year-old emotional support dog, Danna, was sitting in the back seat. When the collision happened, she was thrown forward and took the full force of the airbags meant to protect me. Danna saved my life, and in doing so, her tiny body was broken.

My mother rushed her to the emergency vet in Ventura while I was taken to the hospital. They gave her pain medication and initial care, but we had to transfer her back to Santa Barbara for further treatment. X-rays revealed the extent of the damage: her pelvis and femur are shattered in multiple places. She is in excruciating pain, and everything feels so uncertain.

The surgeons say she needs an emergency operation to remove the broken fragments of her femur that could cause even more internal damage. They might have to remove the head of her femur entirely, with hopes that her body will eventually adapt and allow her to walk again. But they can’t promise anything.

Danna is more than my dog; she’s my support, my best friend, my anchor. I suffer from severe anxiety, and she has been by my side every single day for the past 11 years. I brought her from Peru when I came here. She didn’t deserve this. She took the hit for me, and now she’s suffering while I’m still here.

We’ve already paid for the X-rays, emergency visits, and exams. But her surgery is something we can’t cover on our own. That’s why I’m asking for help. All funds will go directly toward Danna’s surgery and recovery.

Please, if you can, help us give Danna a second chance to walk, to run, to live without pain. She gave me my life; now I want to do everything I can to give her hers back.