Help to Fund Lexi's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
Last Updated: 09/08/2025
Hi everyone - my name is Georgina Howlett, and I'm the proud, adoring owner of a special cat called Lexi.
Lexi came to me in 2021 after I adopted her from her previous owner during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her previous home, she had been facing bullying and aggression from another cat, and was no longer happy there.
When taking her in, I was told she was around seven years old and had been found as a stray kitten. She had only ever been an indoor cat, and as such had not been taken to the vet very often. Thus, the first thing I did was register her with a vet and get her up-to-date with her vaccinations, as well as have her put through a full health check. At that time, she seemed perfectly healthy, but there was no guarantee of no underlying health conditions due to a lack of medical history. Due to this, I couldn't accurately fill in quotes for insurance and insurers wouldn't provide me with estimates, so I decided to set money aside instead in case of emergency for her.
Fast forward to March 2024, and I felt a lump near one of Lexi's nipples while stroking her belly one day. Ever the pessimist, I took her to the vets within weeks, and they agreed that this lump felt abnormal and should be surgically removed. I used my emergency funds to pay for this surgery, and thankfully, it was deemed a success. The lump was tested and identified as a benign cyst, and I was very relieved and glad that it wasn't cancerous. I thought that was the end of Lexi's troubles... but sadly, she has a talent for troublemaking!
By the middle of 2024, I had felt another two lumps rising under Lexi's belly fur - one again on a nipple, and the other nearby to one but on the other side. Again, I opted to surgically remove these and used a large portion of the redundancy payout I'd received from my past employer to fund it. I was lucky to have entered employment again by this time, and opted to use my money for her surgery over anything for myself.
These two lumps were then tested, and sadly, both came back as malignant cancerous tumours. Formally, Lexi's diagnosis is of intraductal papillary mammary carcinomas, which I have been told is a rarer type of mammary cancer in cats that usually affects older female cats.
Due to the complexity of the tumours and how they grow, I was referred to a specialist veterinary care centre - AURA, in Guildford - to investigate next steps for treatment.
So far, Lexi has undergone:
- Radical Surgery (mammary chain and gland removal): In early 2025, Lexi underwent the first half of a radical bilateral mastectomy, which removed several nipples, mammary glands and affected/invaded local lymph nodes. This first half cost £5000, with the upcoming second half of the surgery now estimated to cost approx. £2700.
- Initial and Repeat Staging: This was a sequence of tests and scans to identify how far the cancer progressed and if it has metastasized to any other organs or local lymph nodes. Ultrasound and x-rays came back clear; her other lymph nodes are normal, there is no visible distant spread.
- Chemotherapy: Lexi underwent six rounds of chemotherapy using the drug doxirubicin at AURA, with each session costing between £450 and £600. She may be a candidate for a second cycle with a different drug in the coming months, but this is only if the funds are available and she is up for it (as she didn't particularly enjoy such frequent vet visits!).
By now, sadly, I have exhausted all of my personal emergency funds for Lexi, as well as all of my redundancy payout and family's afforded generosity. I am fortunate to have a supportive network around me who continue to support financially where they can, but at this point, Lexi's care is complex and expensive and has exceeded the budgets we expected to have.
As such, I have decided to set up (and subsequently relaunch) this fundraiser in the hope of pooling together the additional funds I need to give Lexi her best chance of survival and to beat this terrible, rare cancer if she can. Her second surgery for the bilateral mastectomy is scheduled, and beyond this, additional chemotherapy is a possibility as mentioned above (if affordable and reasonable for Lexi).
The goal amount for this fundraiser is currently set as £7500. £3500 of this was already used towards Lexi's prior surgery, with the funds raised since going towards the upcoming second surgery. With her care having cost around £10,000 so far (including chemotherapy), I hope to raise as much as possible to help with any potential additional costs upcoming, and to repay debts incurred relating to her prior treatment.
If you are able to donate even a small amount to this fundraiser to support Lexi's treatment and recovery, I would be infinitely grateful. She is my first ever cat and personal pet, and I honestly don't know how I'd have coped without her for the last few years.
And I will, of course, supply as many photos of her loving life as possible. Thank you.
Here's one to tug on your heartstrings:
Thank you,
Georgina Howlett and Lexi
Organizer
Georgina Howlett
Organizer
England