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We're Mike and Jillian, and we're the proud parents of 2 rescued Dobermans, Atlas and Apollo.
Atlas (5.5) and Apollo (9) are the heart of our home. They're the reason we get up and go to work each day (whether we wanted to wake up or not), and the first to meet us when we get home. And if you're a Doberman parent/lover too, you understand the unconditional love they bring into your world.
Atlas' road to us started off rough, like many rescues do, but his especially. See, when we first saw him on the Dobie Ranch Rescue page (highly recommend them if you're looking for a new best friend!), it was on a post about how he had been rescued after being shot in the face and dumped at the local pound by his previous owner. He had a long road ahead of him, but when Jillian and I first saw him, we knew his place was with us. He was a spitting image of the Doberman we had just lost from Dilated Cardiomyopathy (Zeus) that had been with us for 10 years... floppy ear and all! This is actually why we renamed him Atlas, since it was Atlas that was cursed by Zeus to carry the world on his shoulders.
After the initial immediate medical attention given by DRR, we picked him up and helped him through heartworm treatment and necessary dental surgery due to issues from the shrapnel left from the bullet. Since the dental surgery, Atlas has been blessed with mostly good health (besides the occasional pain from shrapnel migrating in the area that wasn't easily operable), and life has been good.
That all changed 3 weeks ago when we noticed something wrong with his right lower jaw. At first, we chalked it up to further issues from shrapnel, but after bringing him in to our vet, our concerns turned more serious. Since first having a reason for concern, he's already had to have 2 of his lower teeth removed during visits to our vet.. and they pretty much just fell out due to what's going on.
In short, Atlas has been diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the right mandible. In the 2 weeks since his diagnosis, we've been running tests, getting x-rays, and having consultations to figure out what the realistic options are for treatment and prognosis... and to be blunt, it's a steep hill to climb.
Atlas needs to have Stereotactic Body Radio Surgery (i.e., Radiation Therapy). The good news is, the oncologist is optimistic that if we get him treatment soon, there is a good chance for remission, with an optimistic prognosis (although nothing is guaranteed with cancer... F#$k Cancer!). The bad news is, it is outside of what we can afford to provide him on our own.
The curative treatment for him (with the likelihood of providing the possibility of full remission, with the potential of years of additional life if it does recur) is just over $10,000. The palliative treatment, which would only extend his life by 6+ months, is between $3,000-$5,000 (depending on if the CT scan is required)... and the alternative is unthinkable.
Normally, Jillian and I are proud people who don't ask for help. Everything we have in life has been earned through hard work and sacrifice... but we both decided that our pride is not worth the suffering or the shortened life of our boy, and we'd kick ourselves if we didn't at least try and see if finally asking for help isn't as bad as we always feel about it. As such, we've already applied for several K9 cancer foundation grants in hopes to get direct help from groups that specialize in this, but the wait times are months, or the awards are periodic (and still months away)... so we're not hopeful for that, which brings us here.
We've tried to be as open and transparent about Atlas' situation, and who we are as individuals, but I understand that there are sometimes people who try to take advantage of kindness on this site with the use of pity. To put everyone's mind at ease, I've attached a link to all of Atlas' medical/dental records for full review (with personal information redacted for obvious reasons), along with some additional photos of Atlas, as well as a couple of us so you know who you're helping.
As I mentioned before, we're not ones to ask for help... so I'm honestly not sure what to expect with this "shot in the dark"... but even if you've made it this far and can't or don't wish to help... I hope that you can share the link and at least send your hopes, prayers, and/or good vibes our way. All are welcome, and we'll take any help we can get.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read our story, and a HUGE thanks to anyone who donates and/or shares!
All the best <3
~Mike, Jillian, Atlas and Apollo
