My name is Nikki, and I’m fundraising for my 7-year-old Chihuahua, Cooper, who is currently fighting for his life against one of the most aggressive illnesses a dog can face: Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA).

IMHA is a sudden and devastating autoimmune disease where the body destroys its own red blood cells. It strikes without warning and becomes an emergency in a matter of hours. Many dogs don’t survive the first few days — but Cooper is fighting with everything he has, and we refuse to give up on him.

Cooper’s Story

On November 24th, our entire world changed.

Cooper went from being his normal sweet, food-loving, playful self to suddenly becoming extremely weak and pale. When we rushed him to the emergency hospital, we learned his red blood cell level (PCV) had dropped to 14% — a level many dogs do not survive.

Since then, Cooper has endured:

Multiple blood transfusions

Days in the ER and ICU

High-dose immune-suppressing medications

Round-the-clock monitoring

Constant bloodwork

A rollercoaster of life-threatening drops and barely stable rises

Through it all, he has remained gentle, patient, and unbelievably strong.

The veterinary team calls him a “trooper” because he never complains — he just looks up at us with tired eyes and keeps fighting.

And recently… he finally began showing signs of stability. His PCV climbed back into the 30’s, and for the first time, he held steady for 24 hours. His doctors told us that he is not a hopeless case — he just needs more time and continued care.

Why We Need Help

IMHA treatment is incredibly intense and extremely expensive.

With each transfusion, hospitalization day, oxygen support, lab test, and specialist consultation, the cost has climbed higher than we ever imagined. We have already used and maxed out CareCredit, and we have been paying everything we possibly can out of pocket.

We’ve reached a point where we cannot keep up with the mounting emergency costs, but stopping treatment is not an option — not when Cooper is still fighting so hard to stay alive.

What Your Donation Will Cover

Your support will go directly toward:

Remaining ICU and emergency bills

Continued daily PCV/reticulocyte checks

His ongoing immune-suppressing medications

Internal medicine follow-ups

Emergency care if he destabilizes again

Any additional blood transfusions he may need

Every single dollar helps keep him stable and gives him more time to respond to treatment.

Who Cooper Is

Cooper is not “just a dog.” He is family.

He has been with us through difficult times, and now we’re fighting to be there for him.

He is gentle, loving, and trusting — even through every needle poke, transfusion line, and long night away from home. The ER staff tell us over and over how sweet he is, how calm he stays, and how he lets them help him without fear.

All he wants is to go home, curl up in his favorite blanket, and be with the people who love him.

Please Help Us Save Him

We don’t need a miracle — we just need more time.

Time for his medications to work fully.

Time for his bone marrow to keep regenerating.

Time for him to stabilize for good.

Your donation — no matter the amount — helps give Cooper that chance.

If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful.

Thank you for reading, sharing, donating, or simply keeping Cooper in your thoughts.

He deserves every chance to survive this.