Hello all, my name is Maria, and I am Mateo's mom. Mateo is a little dachshund mix who has filled my life with joy since 2017. Mateo has accompanied me through significant life changes like moving overseas to pursue grad school. Mateo is my life partner, and I love him with all my heart!

Last Tuesday night (06/14/2022), I got home, and Mateo didn't come to greet me at the door as he usually does. I immediately knew something was wrong. He was lying in bed, and I could tell he was in pain. Additionally, he showed difficulty walking. I called his vet on Wednesday and got him an appointment for the next day, but his symptoms had worsened when I got home that evening. Mateo started wobbling on his hind legs and suddenly dropped without being able to use those legs again. He was in excruciating pain, so I rushed to the hospital. After examination, I was told that Mateo had a herniated disc that was compromising his spinal cord and resulting in paraplegia and loss of feeling in his back legs. Surgery was the only option with a good prognosis; even then, there's a 50% chance he won't be able to feel or walk on his hind legs again.

Mateo is a little 5-year-old baby. I still can't believe this happened to him! I've been devastated and inconsolable. On top of that, the medical bill is a considerable amount that I won't be able to afford on my grad student income. However, Mateo is my little baby, and I would go to the moon and back for him, so I said yes to the surgery and necessary hospital care to give him the best chance at walking again.

Now Mateo is back home, the success of the surgery won't be apparent until a couple of weeks into recovery, when he will have to start therapy, adding up to the medical bills. Having him home and seeing him calm and happy makes me hopeful that he will recover promptly.

Needless to say, these past days have been rough, and now I'm trying to figure out how I will pay his medical bill. Any donation will go into paying for Mateo's surgery and will be greatly appreciated!