Help pay for Luna’s asthma medication

Hi. My name is Marissa Bono and this is my cat, Luna. I am starting this fundraiser to help pay for her asthma medication. Never in a million years did I think I would be in a place where I would even consider asking strangers for money, but 2020 has not been very kind. If this was for me, I would never ask for help. But this is essentially my child, my baby. I would do anything in the world to help her. We would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to read our story and why we need help.

Luna started having short coughing fits about a year ago and for a while I thought she was just trying to cough up a hairball. One day I decided to google it and saw a video of a cat doing the same exact thing and the description said she had asthma. I immediately made an appointment to take her to the Vet. The veterinarian was concerned because her breathing was loud, so she referred me to another Vet that could do x-rays. On September 1st this year, I took her in for the X-rays and she was diagnosed with feline asthma.  We started out with an antibiotic shot and liquid steroids. She did incredibly well for the first month and didn’t have a single attack! But the day after stopping the steroids, the asthma attacks came back. I took her back to the Vet and was told that because she has chronic asthma she will need chronic treatment. There are only two options for her right now: steroids or an inhaler. The steroids are the more affordable option being only $20 a month but the inhaler is $250-$300 a month. My vet said that steroids are not the best option because chronic use will do damage to her liver and kidneys. Luna is only 3 1/2. She has so much life left to live and I want her to have a long healthy life! I don’t want her to suffer just because I can’t afford the inhalers.

Before covid I was an Assistant General Manager for a hotel. I started my career in hotels 7 years ago as a front desk agent and worked my way up. I was so close to my next promotion and what I had been working towards for so long, a General Manager position. Unfortunately I was furloughed in March then ultimately laid off in September. My unemployment got messed up and ended abruptly so I had to scramble and take a job as a receptionist at a behavioral health clinic. I’m making 25% less than what I was before covid and even then I was still living paycheck to paycheck. Now I make $15 an hour for 75 hours per paycheck. I’m forced to take off holidays and don’t get paid for them. I used up my 6 months of covid-19 Medicaid by September 30th so now I have to pay for my medications too. I’m still applying for higher paying jobs every day but it’s extremely competitive right now. I sell personal items on Mercari and deliver food with Postmates for extra money but it’s still not enough to cover everything. I’m embarrassed and ashamed to say that my financial situation is the worst it’s ever been and trying to pay off a mountain of debt while barely making enough money to pay my rent, bills and feed myself and my cats... it’s just not possible. But this isn’t a sob story about me, this is about my baby girl Luna who desperately needs your help.

I will post the receipts for her medication to prove that this money will be used for that. If everyone on my Facebook friends list donated just $1 that would be enough to cover at least 2 months worth of asthma medication. If you don’t have the means to donate, please don’t. I know so many people are struggling financially right now and I understand. But if you can’t donate I would really appreciate if you would share the link with your friends. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story and if you donate or share my link, I can’t say thank you enough!