Sharpie is more than just a cat—he’s family. For the past 13 years, he’s been a loyal companion, first to his original owner and, for the past several years, to my neighbor Kevin. Kevin and I have been neighbors for four years, and I’ve seen firsthand how much Sharpie means to him. As a first generation immigrant from Canada, Kevin doesn’t have family here in Australia—except for Sharpie.

Recently, Sharpie fell seriously ill, and Kevin feared the worst. Thankfully, it is looking like a treatable condition rather than cancer. The medical bills have already exceeded $5,000, and Kevin has been working overtime to cover the costs. This has also left him with no emergency savings, making an already stressful situation even harder.

My birthday is coming up next week, and instead of gifts, I’d love to use this opportunity to support Kevin and Sharpie. If you’d like to contribute, it would mean the world—but please don’t feel pressured!

If you contribute, I hope it feels like that we are coming together for a neighbour, a fellow pet lover, and a little black cat who means everything to his person.