- K
This is Maggie.
Jonathan adopted her four years ago. She thinks he's basically a Beatle. He's a pretty big fan of hers as well.
Last spring, Jonathan went to the doctor with stomach pain and was given meds for a kidney infection.
It was not a kidney infection. It was aggressive stage 3 lymphoma. He was given a 50 to 70 percent chance of survival.
"When you're sick, a dog is the best possible company," he says. "I couldn't really go out, didn't want to see anyone or for them to see me. But Maggie didn't care. And she gave me a reason to go outside every day."
Jonathan made it through chemo with Maggie keeping in company. And then last year around this time, he had a scan that said he was in remission. He and Maggie started to get back to something resembling normal life. Winter passed.
Spring and then summer came again. Maggie was PUMPED. Things were looking up.
In September, Jonathan and Maggie went on a road trip to Vermont to see his aunt. He noticed that Maggie wasn't chasing his aunt's cat, which was odd.
The next 24 hours unfolded like a bad dream.
At one point she tried to follow Jonathan out of the room and collapsed.
At the vet, the news went from bad to worse.
Jonathan decided to give the emergency surgery a try despite the enormous expense.
"She was there for me at my worst moment," he says. "I felt like I owed it to her to be there for her in hers."
(Yes, we agree: That last part is pretty on the nose. Like, come on, universe... you've gotta be fucking with us. And yet.)
The surgery went well, but it would be a long two weeks of waiting before nerve function began to return, if it did at all.
At least Maggie was on some good drugs.
Back at home in Brooklyn, Jonathan carried Maggie up and down four flights of stairs several times a day so she could pee.
There were complications. Since she couldn't control her own bladder, Maggie developed something called urine scald. She started shivering. Jonathan took her to the emergency vet. The infection had the vets worried.
They gave her more good drugs.
Maggie had to stay in the hospital for three nights.
She was insanely happy to see Jonathan every time he came to visit...
...and super sad when he had to leave.
The infection started to clear up. And when it finally did...
Since then, it has been a slow, steady journey for Maggie. She is starting to walk again, but is unsteady on her left hind leg.
Her hair is growing back, although she still has a tufty tail like a lion. Jonathan is still carrying her up and down four flights of stairs several times a day. She may never be able to run and jump again the way she once loved to.
With your support, we can make sure Maggie has everything she needs going forward as she continues with her rehab. And Jonathan only recently got his life back. Let's take a little bit of the financial burden off of his shoulders so he can live... REALLY live. Not just get by.
With his best pal by his side, of course.
Jonathan adopted her four years ago. She thinks he's basically a Beatle. He's a pretty big fan of hers as well.
Last spring, Jonathan went to the doctor with stomach pain and was given meds for a kidney infection.
It was not a kidney infection. It was aggressive stage 3 lymphoma. He was given a 50 to 70 percent chance of survival.
"When you're sick, a dog is the best possible company," he says. "I couldn't really go out, didn't want to see anyone or for them to see me. But Maggie didn't care. And she gave me a reason to go outside every day."
Jonathan made it through chemo with Maggie keeping in company. And then last year around this time, he had a scan that said he was in remission. He and Maggie started to get back to something resembling normal life. Winter passed.
Spring and then summer came again. Maggie was PUMPED. Things were looking up.
In September, Jonathan and Maggie went on a road trip to Vermont to see his aunt. He noticed that Maggie wasn't chasing his aunt's cat, which was odd.
The next 24 hours unfolded like a bad dream.
At one point she tried to follow Jonathan out of the room and collapsed.
At the vet, the news went from bad to worse.
Jonathan decided to give the emergency surgery a try despite the enormous expense.
"She was there for me at my worst moment," he says. "I felt like I owed it to her to be there for her in hers."
(Yes, we agree: That last part is pretty on the nose. Like, come on, universe... you've gotta be fucking with us. And yet.)
The surgery went well, but it would be a long two weeks of waiting before nerve function began to return, if it did at all.
At least Maggie was on some good drugs.
Back at home in Brooklyn, Jonathan carried Maggie up and down four flights of stairs several times a day so she could pee.
There were complications. Since she couldn't control her own bladder, Maggie developed something called urine scald. She started shivering. Jonathan took her to the emergency vet. The infection had the vets worried.
They gave her more good drugs.
Maggie had to stay in the hospital for three nights.
She was insanely happy to see Jonathan every time he came to visit...
...and super sad when he had to leave.
The infection started to clear up. And when it finally did...
Since then, it has been a slow, steady journey for Maggie. She is starting to walk again, but is unsteady on her left hind leg.
Her hair is growing back, although she still has a tufty tail like a lion. Jonathan is still carrying her up and down four flights of stairs several times a day. She may never be able to run and jump again the way she once loved to.
With your support, we can make sure Maggie has everything she needs going forward as she continues with her rehab. And Jonathan only recently got his life back. Let's take a little bit of the financial burden off of his shoulders so he can live... REALLY live. Not just get by.
With his best pal by his side, of course.