My name is Ingrid, and my 9-year-old son Sebastian and I started this GoFundMe for our cat Mimi. I have never asked for help financially from anyone but there are two things my son loves SO much: drawing … and our cat Mimi!

A few years ago, Mimi wasn’t even “our” cat. She had been abandoned in our neighborhood, and for months she kept her distance, unsure and cautious. But Sebastian was determined. Day after day, he would sit on our back porch, gently “courting” her with patience, kindness, and quiet company until little by little, she began to trust us. Fast forward three years later, and Mimi is now our full-time kitty, spending her days curled up next to us, following us around, and soaking up all the love she once didn’t have:)

Recently, we received heartbreaking news: Mimi has a salivary gland malignant tumor.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of vet visits, tests, and uncertainty, but we finally have a bit of hope! Mimi is a good candidate for surgery, and there is a real chance to help her. Her tumor is currently localized with no metastasis, and because it hasn’t spread, her prognosis is good if she receives surgery. Without it, however, the cancer would continue to progress and become fatal.

Mimi is still completely herself! Still wanting cuddles, still eating normally, still following us around like always. Seeing her this way makes us even more determined to give her the chance she deserves before the cancer spreads.

I have already spent thousands on diagnostics here in the U.S. (biopsy, ultrasound, and CT scan), which were necessary to determine if this was treatable. The surgery and treatment she needs are much more affordable in Colombia, where I’m from, and we found a wonderful oncologist who can help her. We are doing everything we can to make this happen for her, but we could really use some support.

When we were talking about how to help Mimi, my son and I came up with this idea: for every donation, he will send one of his drawings digitally as a thank you ! :) He is a very talented little artist,lately he’s really into Wings of Fire, so you’ll see a lot of those, but he also loves drawing animals, so feel free to request anything you’d like. It’s my son’s way of helping the cat he worked so hard to win over, and who now means the world to him.

If you’re able to donate, share, or even just keep Mimi in your thoughts, it would mean so much to us. Every bit of support helps give her the chance she deserves. Any amount of help, whether it’s a small donation or simply sharing this, is truly deeply appreciated! If you’ve read this far, THANK YOU for being part of Mimi’s story. Even just sharing this would mean more than you know to us

— Ingrid & Sebastian