I am a veterinarian and owner of Family Pet Health in Murfreesboro, TN. I have a close friend of mine that my husband and I met through our local 4-H program and she kept my kids when they were newborns until they started school so she is like a second mom to them. She has been living with a terminal cervical cancer diagnosis for several years. She is a single mom of 5 amazing kids who are the hardest working most responsible and respectful kids I know. Sue has so much faith and is super tough and is a generous and joyful soul despite having gone through so many trials in her life.

Years of intense chemo and radiation have taken their toll and Ms. S's cancer has metastasized to lots of different locations now, and just these last couple of weeks Ms. S went into liver failure due to her cancer and she is in a lot of pain right now. Her prognosis is pretty grave unless a miracle happens which we are praying for. Her goal is to see all her kids graduate high school. Right now her kids are her primary caregivers as well as just taking care of herself. She had had a lot of support from her church as well. She has no other family close by.

Her second youngest child wanted a dog and two years ago Ms. S allowed her to get a puppy- a little terrier mix. He is two years old and otherwise healthy., but on Sunday they found him paralyzed in the back end. On radiographs, he has mineralized disks in a couple of locations consistent with Hansen type 1 intervertebral disk disease which is a hereditary condition. Right now he is a little stronger on the left side and still has deep pain perception. He currently does not have bladder function so we are having to express (squeeze) his bladder to help him urinate. Overall he is in good spirits and is such a happy little guy and we know he could end up permanently disabled or may need to be euthanized if his condition deteriorates.

My goal is to give this 16-year-old girl her puppy back in the best shape possible. I feel like they need some joy in their lives. Our family and the veterinary team at Family Pet Health decided to at least try fundraising to help with ongoing care, either medical management or if we raise enough money to consider back surgery. All care that we provide through Family Pet Health will be performed at cost, but we cannot deliver the special surgery that Milo desperately needs. Surgery at a local specialist hospital is estimated to be between $7000-9000. Surgery is likely his best chance of recovering from his paralysis and he likely has disk material compressing his spinal cord that needs to be removed. I can’t fix the cancer and all the other hardships they are experiencing but as a veterinarian and their friend, I am hoping to help in this way. I know there are a lot of people with needs, so we are grateful for whatever we can raise. Please consider donating if you are able.

Any extra money would be given to help the family if donations exceed the cost of Milo's surgery. Thank you, -Dr. Amy Shirley