Hi, my name is Orsha and I connected with my dear friend Natoma when my dog Maggie met her dog Boone. This gentle giant of a dog treated Miss Mags with such love (and patience!) that it immediately ignited a friendship between me and his mom, Natoma. I learned that Boone spreads love and light - along with big smiles - wherever he goes because he has the sweetest little disposition in a very big body (he’s a St. BernardX).

At this time, I also learned that he was starting to have a difficult time spreading joy to others because something was happening with his ability to walk.

Fast forward a year, with me watching Natoma work tirelessly to pay for a diagnostic MRI, and Boone recently received a diagnosis: A neurological disorder called Wobbler’s Syndrome (ie. Bone-Associated Cervical Spondylomyelopathy). He is having a hard time walking due to malformations in two neck vertebrae that are compressing his spinal cord. Soon he will lose his ability to walk, and his purpose in life of spreading joy to everyone who meets him.

There is a major surgery with an 80% success rate to fully restore his neurological health and give Boone back his mobility. Without this surgery, he will continue to deteriorate - both physically and emotionally - as he loses his ability to walk and live the active life he is used to. He is a young pup who has so much more walking to do (ideally unassisted because he is a very big boy and Natoma cannot lift or carry him). He deserves the opportunity to get this surgery and have a chance at walking, and spreading joy on his walks, again.

As of January 1, 2025 Natoma, who is on very limited fixed income herself, has already spent over $5000 in neurology consults, diagnostic tests, and Emergency fees. She wants to fight with everything she has to make sure her sweet boy, who is her world, can have his quality of life back. She has been given a low end estimate of $13,560.38 and a high end estimate of $15,683.46 for this surgery, and she needs our help to be able to give it to her beloved baby boy Boone.

We all want to help lessen this financial burden for Natoma so that she can fight as hard as possible, physically, mentally and emotionally, to save Boone.