Kyro's Heart - Fund Life Saving Surgery in Japan!

Hi Everyone,

I'm Colbe, and together with my wife Biddy, we share our lives with an extraordinary member of our family, our little Pomeranian, Kyro. From the moment we welcomed him into our home at just 3 months old, Kyro has been a bundle of joy and absolute unconditional love. He holds a special place in our hearts, having been by our side for nearly as long as Biddy and I have been together. Whether it's chasing ducks, out on the beach/lake, rolling in snow, cuddling with his mom or catching food at tremendous lengths when thrown to him, Kyro is everything to us.

Three years ago, our world was turned upside down when Kyro began making a strange honking noise. After numerous vet visits and tests, we received a devastating diagnosis of Kyro having Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease with a ruptured chordea tendineae. Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease affects the mitral valve, a flap that is located on the left side of the heart, between the atrium and the ventricle. The valves tissue tends to degenerate over time, gradually thickens, losing its elasticity and is no longer able to function properly. This lack of a proper closure leads to abnormal reversal of blood flow inside the heart, known as mitral regurgitation. This condition gradually diminishes its function over time and eventually would end his precious life.

Despite hearing he only had a year or so left, we refused to accept defeat. We revamped Kyro's diet, increased his exercise, and explored every possible avenue for treatment. That's when we discovered a life-saving procedure offered only in Japan or London - an open-heart surgery that repairs his Mitral Valve and gives Kyro the chance at many more years of life.

However, the financial burden of such a procedure is immense, especially amidst unexpected challenges like my recent job loss.

We've already poured thousands of dollars into Kyro's diagnostics and medications, but we're determined to give him the chance he deserves. We are not ready to let him go yet. We know he has so many more years of life still ahead of him and he is being robbed of them due to his Mitral Valve.

After a rigorous application process, Kyro had been accepted for surgery at the Jasmine Clinic in Japan, with a scheduled date of June 3rd. However, on 05/06 Kyro had some bloodwork done which showed high ALK Phosphatase. This prompted a Dex Suppression test which led to us being told Kyro's results were consistent with Cushings disease. The clinic in Japan let us know that until the Cushings disease is under control, we would need to postpone his procedure that was set for 06/03. We have been working on this for over 2 months and after his last appointment with the vet, he was finally cleared to go to Japan for his procedure. His new date was August 12th with us taking off on August 8th. We have taken out a loan to cover the costs of his procedure due to our situation. This is where we ask for your help. Every penny raised will go directly towards covering the costs of his pre and post procedure, offering him a chance at a full and happy life by our side. The loan has a very high interest rate, but we had to do what we had to do.

Kyro had his procedure on August 12th and was successful! It only took about an hour and a half and they added 8 new chordae tendinae for his heart.

Due to his Cushing's Disease, he had some trouble breathing after the procedure and had to stay in an oxygen chamber for a few extra days. But with some medication, he was able to leave the clinic after 7 days.

After waiting about 2 weeks, he then got his stitches removed and also had a post-operation check-up before heading home. The doctors said his heart is stabilizing well, and it’s almost back to its normal size already!

His post-operation care is strict. He is not allowed to go up or down stairs, jump, or follow around the house. It will be like this for about 3 months.

In total, the procedure cost $16,430.78, based on the yen conversion while we were in Japan.

Procedure Deposit: 200,000 Yen = $1,403.92

Pre-Op Consultation: 87,527 Yen = $614.40

Mitral Valve Procedure: 1,301,500 Yen = $9,136.01

Hospitalization Deposit: 397,500 Yen = $2,790.29

Remainder of Hospital Stay: 310,416 Yen = $2,179.00

Post-Op Consultation: 43,758 Yen = $307.16

With Kyro’s surgery being a success, we couldn’t be more grateful. He’s on the road to recovery, and we’re incredibly thankful for the donations that made this possible. With the cost of his procedure being over $16,000, we’ve raised $2,500 so far. We still have a significant amount to cover, and any further support would be a huge help as we navigate his recovery and medical expenses.

Our dreams for the future include starting a family, and we can't imagine embarking on that journey without Kyro by our side. Our goal is for him to be with us when our baby is born and him being able to be with him/her. His unwavering loyalty and companionship have enriched our lives in countless ways, and we're committed to doing everything in our power to ensure he's with us for many more years to come.

Your generosity and support mean the world to us. No donation is too small, and every contribution brings us one step closer to saving Kyro's life. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for considering our plea and for being a part of Kyro's journey.

With gratitude,

Colbe and Biddy Parker