Please Help Snowflake After Suffering a Stroke

Hi, my name is Kelly, I’m fundraising to help cover costs after my kitty Snowflake became ill. On July 1st, our lab woke us up at 3 am and we found Snowflake laying on the floor motionless. Our hearts sank as we realized he couldn't move his head, and his front legs were unnaturally stiff and splayed out in an agonizing position. He attempted to walk, but his front legs remained unresponsive, so we took him to the nearest emergency vet.

The emergency vet's examination revealed distressing signs: Snowflake's front legs lacked normal reflexes, his body temperature had dropped, and his breathing had slowed. They conducted bloodwork and an x-ray, hoping to identify any fractures or underlying causes. All the tests came back normal, and it was recommended for him to stay at the vet at an ICU level of care.

Snowflake was cocooned in cozy blankets, finding comfort in their warmth. At that point he was only able to eat kitten food and as the days rolled by he gradually transitioned to adult cat food. We witnessed a glimmer of hope as his left leg showed signs of improvement. However, his right leg was not improving. On Monday, the doctor advised him to see a neurologist and we were able to take him home with the pain medication he needed.

On Thursday, we traveled to Rockville, MD to get him seen with the specialist. At this point an MRI was performed to see if his symptoms were caused by cancer, stroke, infection, or an immune response to properly treat him. This would guide our next steps as our main goal was to keep him safe, comfortable and to hold a quality of life.

The MRI found a intramedullary spinal cord lesion in C5-C7 consistent with ischemic vascular event likely caused by a stroke. In the images, we could see that his right side of his spinal cord is greatly affected which explains his slowed progress on that leg.

We are trying our best to provide a comfortable place in the house, and to keep up with his physical therapy and his pain medication. The vet mentioned that while he has slowly progressed, he may never be able to walk steadily. Which is fine with us because we love him either way.

He is our baby boy and he is around 10 years old and had a tough life outside as a stray and we wanted to give him the quality of life and care he deserves. He’s the sweetest kitty and loves everyone he meets.

Donations will be used to cover his hospital stay, neurology visit and MRI and upcoming checkups to continue his care. Thank you in advance for any amount donated, even a dollar helps or a share!