Help Save Roxanne - My Turtle, My Family

Roxanne Made It Through Surgery—But She Still Needs Help Healing. 

Hi Everyone,

Roxanne is alive. She made it through one of the most invasive surgeries a turtle can endure: a plastronotomy and removal of her reproductive system to remove retained eggs and save her life. But her healing journey is far from over—and she needs your help. 

Roxanne is a 12-year-old Yellow Belly Slider I rescued as a hatchling when she was barely the size of a quarter. She’s been with me every day since—a true companion and cherished member of my family. She’s active, social, full of personality, and still very young for a turtle. She recognizes the people she knows, swims to the front of her tank to greet us, and splashes the water to beg for her favorite treats—krill and cuttlebones. If she doesn’t already know you, she’s a little shy at first, but if you offer her a treat, she’ll be your best friend in no time. The bond I share with her is just as deep as the one I have with my dog. She’s not “just a turtle” to me—she’s family.

This fundraiser began during her first reproductive emergency, when retained eggs put her life at risk. Thanks to donors, she received oxytocin injections, hospital stays, multiple medications, and the care she needed to safely lay her first clutch. I was just about to post a hopeful update when everything changed—Roxanne stopped eating again. 

She became erratic, clearly in pain. I immediately rescheduled what was supposed to be her “all clear” X-ray. Imaging revealed something heartbreaking: an entirely new clutch of eggs had developed. Weeks of overnight hospitalizations, injections, and thousands of dollars later, we were back at square one.

Knowing her hormones were still unregulated—and that her now-weakened body couldn’t pass the second clutch—her vet made a strong recommendation: the best, and really only, path forward was major surgery. First, they’d attempt egg removal and a spay via prefemoral incision. But if that failed, they’d have to perform a plastronotomy—an uncommon, extreme procedure that involves sawing open the bottom of her shell. 

The day of surgery, I dropped her off and waited. The first call came with bad news: the prefemoral incision had failed. Severe inflammation made the internal space too tight to operate safely. They would have to cut through her shell. 

I waited through hours of silence—far longer than what’s typically considered safe under anesthesia. Finally, I got the call: Roxanne survived, but what they found was worse than anyone expected. She had eggs pressed between organs. One egg had somehow entered her bladder and had to be surgically removed. In a single surgery, she underwent a prefemoral incision, a plastronotomy, a bladder operation, and the complete removal of her reproductive system. And she made it. 

After a hospital stay, she’s now home with me—and in the most delicate stage of all: recovery. 

 She’s on a strict post-op protocol that includes: 

• Ongoing injections (antibiotics and pain meds).
• Vet visits to monitor healing and deliver subcutaneous fluids.
• Boiled or sterile towel changes every 4–5 hours to prevent infection. 
• Full lighting, temperature, and hydration control in a dry-dock hospital enclosure. 
• Monitoring of her incision site, acrylic plastron patch, humidity levels, and thermal zones around the clock.

Her current enclosure resembles a neonatal incubator more than a turtle habitat—but it’s what her body needs to survive this stage. 

Someone helped get me financing I couldn’t have gotten on my own for the surgery, but the aftercare costs—including supplies, continued vet visits, and missed income from my hourly job—are outpacing my ability to provide for her. I’ve already had to miss significant work to care for her and will need to remain part-time for at least two more weeks while she stabilizes. 

To be clear, I’m not trying to recoup what I’ve already spent. After nearly $10,000 in total costs, I’m only asking for help with what’s still needed to keep her alive and safe right now. 

She’s showing every sign we hoped for: no visible infection, reduced incision oozing, strong thermoregulatory behavior, and the will to live. She’s not just enduring—she’s fighting. 

This is the final chapter in her medical journey. If she continues healing well, she won’t need another surgery. She’ll be free from the reproductive burden that nearly took her life. She’ll go on living, swimming, basking, and thriving for decades to come in the home I built for her—because people like you gave her that chance. 

If you’ve already donated, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you’re seeing this for the first time: Roxanne is not just a turtle. She’s family. A rescue. A symbol of survival, willpower, and the tenacity of love. 

We’re so close now. Please help her finish strong.

— Matt & Roxanne