Help Wiatt and Stanford Heal After a Scary Accident

Co-organized

Giovanna Paolini Ferrini and Blake Norman are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Blake Norman.

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TL;DR:

Our cat Wiatt was seriously injured when a kitchen accident caused a heavy pizza cutter to fall, completely lacerating a tendon in his leg. Emergency surgery saved him, but the vet bills totaled $1,475 for the initial visit, and his healing process will require several more appointments, physical therapy, and splints. Just days earlier, our other cat Stanford needed surprise dental surgery, adding another $1,200+ to our expenses. We’ve already spent $2,966—completely draining our savings—while living on a very limited disability-based income. We’re asking for help to give our boys the care they need to recover fully.

Who We Are

Hi, I’m Giovanna, I’m a transgender artist, DJ, and event organizer from the United States. I’m visiting my boyfriend, Blake, in Alberta, Canada, where I stay for a few months a year. Together, we share a home with two of the most affectionate cats I have ever met in my life, Wiatt and Stanford.

Wiatt’s Injury

A few nights ago, what should have been a normal night turned into a nightmare; while we were cooking, Blake accidentally knocked a heavy, sharp, three-foot pizza cutter off of the rack, and who were standing exactly in the spot where the cutter fell but the two brothers, waiting and hoping they would score a stray piece of food.

Initially, it didn’t look like either cat was hit, but we soon noticed Wiatt limping and bleeding after checking on him, with a serious wound.

We rushed him to the nearest emergency vet—about a 25-minute drive away. When we arrived, Wiatt was still bleeding heavily in his carrier.

The vets confirmed a severe laceration near his Achilles tendon. During surgery, they discovered that Wiatt’s superficial digital flexor tendon had been completely cut. If left unrepaired, he wouldn’t be able to walk on his toes, leaving him with a permanently dropped hock. The vets sutured the tendon, removed a large life-threatening blood clot, and placed a splint to limit movement in his leg. So far, his bills total $1,598, including a follow-up splint change. He’ll need further visits, heat, massage, and physical therapy at home, and weeks of restricted movement to recover.

Stanford’s Surprise Dental Surgery

As if that wasn’t enough, just four days earlier, our other cat Stanford needed an unexpected tooth extraction.

* Dental check-up: $88.20

* Procedure and cleaning: $1,195.51

Our Financial Situation

We’ve spent a total of $2,966.72 so far, including extra supplies to help both cats recover at home, as well as having to shift our schedules to revolve around caring for Wiatt. This completely drained Blake’s savings, who works part-time at Walmart for minimum wage, and both of us rely on disability benefits, beyond which I’m can’t work abroad, and am not able to use my food stamp benefits to help offset our costs. We’re barely scraping by and can’t cover the upcoming vet visits on our own.

What We’re Asking

We love Wiatt and Stanford like family. Any donation, no matter how small, will help us:

Pay off Wiatt’s existing surgery bill
Cover his follow-up visits, splint care, and therapy
Recover from Stanford’s dental surgery costs

We’re endlessly grateful for any help you can give, whether it’s donating, sharing our story, or sending good thoughts for our boys’ recovery. Both of them are brimming with personality and full of love; in my entire life, the two of them are some of the sweetest cats I have ever met. They are incredibly special family to us and also help keep Blake company while I’m at home in Massachusetts. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and support us during such a difficult time.