Hi friends and family,

As many of you know, our two girls, Raya and Basil, are basically our children and are always our main priority.

On March 9th, Raya regurgitated food and water at 6 AM. By 9 AM, she was having trouble breathing and I had to bring her to the emergency vet. After extensive testing, receiving oxygen, and x-rays, she was diagnosed with Aspiration Pneumonia due to Megaesophagus (ME). Megaesophagus is a neuromuscular disorder that causes the esophagus to enlarge abnormally and lose muscle tone, which disrupts the normal flow of food and liquid into the stomach. Because of this, Raya is now required to eat and drink in an upright position or a "Bailey chair" to allow gravity to do the job that her esophagus cannot.

The cost of her visit and overnight stay was $3,250 and with more x-rays and tests to come in the next few weeks, it comes with so much uncertainty. We are not sure of where this journey will go, but Raya is estimated to only be about 7 years old and we want to do everything we can to make sure her best years are yet to come.

I am hoping with your support we can recover from some of the costs and make a donation to the non-profit, Upright Canine Brigade. UCB specializes in spreading awareness about ME and assists rescues and shelters to provide support for dogs that have been diagnosed with ME, as ME is not and should not be a death sentence.

We are forever grateful,

Mary, Ben, Raya, & Basil