We don’t have human children — Roci is our child. She is adventurous, loving, and brings joy to everyone she meets. She has always been full of life and affection, and we can’t imagine our days without her. Just before Thanksgiving last year, we almost lost her. At only three years old, Roci was diagnosed with severe Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) — a lifelong condition that can be fatal without constant care. Over the past year, we’ve done everything possible to manage her illness — specialized food, supplements, enzymes, and ongoing medical support — and thankfully, she is responding well.

Unfortunately, just after Thanksgiving this year, at only four years old, Roci became sick again. What we initially thought was exhaustion or a mild stomach upset quickly turned into a terrifying emergency. Our veterinarian told us she was far sicker than she appeared, and we rushed her to the emergency hospital. Her lab work revealed multiple life-threatening abnormalities — raising urgent concern for sepsis, DIC, or possibly Leptospirosis. Despite hours of emergency treatment, her condition continued to worsen, and we were urged to transfer her to a specialty hospital. We spent days at the University of Tennessee not knowing if she would survive. There were moments when the next 12 hours would determine whether we were talking about comfort care or a chance at recovery.

Miraculously, after four days in critical care, Roci responded to intensive treatment and was stable enough to come home under temporary isolation and constant care. Thankfully, my husband works from home and is able to be with her — helping her eat small meals, take numerous medications, and recover safely. We are beyond grateful she is still with us and showing signs of improvement. The truth is the cost of her hospitalization and ongoing care is overwhelming. We are asking for help to cover her hospital bills, medications, lab work, and continued treatments so we can keep giving Roci the life she deserves. Any support or sharing means more than we can ever express. Thank you for helping give her the best chance at a long and happy life.