Help save Jaspers sight- my Westie my Bestie
Donation protected
MY BEST FURIEND: Help Jasper see
Jasper is my soul mate.. an 11 year old Westie who gives endless love to all he meets. But 6months ago he was diagnosed with diabetes. And he will now lose his sight within weeks if he does not receive immediate and urgent surgery.. did I say Jasper is also afraid of the dark?
Do you have a best friend? A 4 legged little companion that makes your life complete. Who keeps you company at 3am when the world is sleeping (but you’re not), can make you smile when the skies are dark, is the first to greet you when you arrive home, the last to snuggle up close when you’re sad.
11 years ago, Jasper melted my heart, and became part of my soul. The most adorable little West Highland terrier with white ‘floofy’ curls, 2 floppy ears, deep soulful eyes, and a heart that immediately beat as one with mine.
And every single day since, he has been by my side, my trusty companion and steadfast friend. My soulmate. My confidant. My protector. My boy.
He has a sixth sense.. or maybe it’s just because he’s my soul mate.. he knows when I’m feeling sad or scared, happy or joyful.. and reacts accordingly.
He’s always up for an adventure. He doesn’t care about the what, where, when or how.
It could be going to the letterbox, or to pull out some weeds in the garden, a trip in the van to Granmas house.
If I put on my shoes at 3am.. he’s standing at the door ready to come!
He doesn’t complain when I watch Mamma Mia and sing at the top of my voice, and growls protectively at the Walking Dead.
He doesn’t talk back..ok.. he tries.. but Mum always win (we’ve always had a joke that he’d go to the sausage roll factory if he doesn’t behave!).
He doesn’t care if I look silly, if I haven’t combed my hair, if I’ve put on 5kg, if my socks don’t match.
And if I ever leave the house without him, without fail, he’s so happy to see me when I come through the front door. Not just happy, but wiggle butt, arooooooo, lick you all over with excitement happy!
He doesn’t care how much money I (don’t) make, what postcode we live in, or what car we drive (as long as the windows wind down and he can feel the wind in his hair!).
He’s the BEST at keeping secrets- I can tell him anything, and not once has he ever told my secret to anyone.. except his fur sister Pip or Winnie.
We have conversations all day long, granted he doesn’t have much to say verbally, but all his head tilting, ear pointing, deeply gazing into my eyes and licks at the right moments confirms theres a lot of listening going on, and empathy and understanding.
He doesn’t care about privacy.. I watch him send ‘pee mail’..so he feels it’s his duty to join me in the bathroom too!
I just can’t imagine life without him.
Jasper is one of those ‘1in a million dogs’.
He literally keeps me alive.. no, he DOES in fact keep me alive.
9 years ago, I experienced the worst day of my life.
I sat in the middle of my lounge room floor, with Jasper and his twin sister Pip curled on my lap, licking away the tears that flowed like a waterfall down my cheeks.
I had just resigned from my position as a paediatric nurse.. having been told to ‘start preparing for the worst’. The lung disease I had contracted by ‘freak bad luck’ working as a paediatric/ NICU nurse 15 years prior, was now deemed terminal. I was not expected to live another 6months.
My health had been gradually deteriorating, with multiple ICU hospital admissions, reliance on portable oxygen to breathe, the need for a wheelchair for mobility, and multiple bone fractures without any reason.
I had become isolated and trapped in my home. 35 years old.. unable to work, unable to breathe, unable to shower or walk without assistance. And told to ‘prepare to die’.
So there I sat in the middle of the lounge room floor, Jasper and his twin sister Pippy curled on my lap, heads cocked to one side, licking away the tears as they streamed down my face.
We just sat there in silence.. comforting me as only dogs can, with warm cuddles and gentle licks and nudges.
This was it, the 15 years I’d been fighting, and it was coming to its final song.
But as the tears rolled down my cheeks, I knew I had to keep fighting. That Jasper and Pip would NEVER give up on me, so I couldn’t give up on them.
They never left my side. They lay between the tubes and buzzing machines. They stood guard as doctors, nurses, teams of ‘helpers’ entered their home.. making sure everyone knew that approval had to go through them!
They avoided the wheels of the wheelchair, and were thrilled to sit quietly upon my knee for ‘zoomies’. They never complained that Mum couldn’t take them walkies or play ‘chasey’ anymore.
And something special happened.. they “taught themselves” a system to keep me breathing at night. My lungs are tired.. when I sleep, my brain forgets to tell my lungs to breathe.. so I literally stop breathing. Every night Jasper lies with his head on my chest.. when I stop breathing (my chest stops rising) he squirms which wakes me.. if this doesn’t work.. he licks my face until I take a gasp (& start breathing again).
With the help of Mum and wonderful friends, and my 2 “bestie Westies’.. we fought hard.. and I survived those 6 months.. and then another.. and another.
Each day I wake with Jasper on my left shoulder.. some mornings he’s exhausted from a busy “night shift”.
Jasper and Pip gave me the strength and inspiration to start designing, creating and handcrafting dog collars, leashes and harnesses. I enjoyed the creativity and pride in creating these products for my own dogs, then family and friends, then at local markets, that I saw the potential in attempting to start my own small business: Funky Fido was born!
I had to start making plans, and to give myself a goal.. I was determined to live. And determined to find a medical treatment that could save my life. But, IF I were to find a treatment, I would need to be able to finance it. Not to mention I had “outlived my 6 months”.. medical costs and equipment are astronomical.. my health was (& is) extremely poor, I will never be able to work again.. and I had 2 fur kids relying on me!
Then, on Valentines Day last year, Jaspers beautiful twin sister Pip crossed the rainbow bridge after a very sudden and unexpected illness. It broke both Jasper and my hearts.
We both nearly gave up the ‘fight’.. but was blessed with the arrival of a sweet little white Westie floofball exactly 12months ago, who has helped return happiness and love to our home. Her name: Winnie Poohs. And we love her beyond words.
September last year, we had another devastating blow.. I fractured both hips unexpectedly (literally rolling over in bed), and had to go to hospital for major surgical intervention.
Jasper, being well cared for by close friends, suddenly lost 2kgs and became very unwell. We thought it was ‘separation anxiety’, but acting on a bad ‘gut feeling’, arranged for an urgent vet appointment. The separation anxiety expediated his first diabetic crisis.. he was 24hours from a catastrophic incident. Jasper has diabetes.
He started immediately on twice daily insulin injections.. and was brought into the hospital (with special permission) where he lay snuggled on my lap and stabilised his breathing and symptoms.
We arranged for discharge of myself from hospital the following day.
Jaspers diabetes took several weeks to stabilise, with a complete change in diet (strict meal times and change to a “raw” protein and vegetable based diet.. and NO more snacks, treats.. or ice cream!)
Plus twice daily insulin injections.
I laugh now at our sneaky attempts to get a pee sample.. we’d follow him around the garden with a urine dipstick, and as he cocked his leg, or squatted for a pee, we would quickly try to get in his ‘pee stream’.
He worked out to hide between trees, or that if he ran, I couldn’t follow with my walking frame.. cheeky bugger!
Although he ‘doesn’t like’ his insulin injections, is ALWAYS hungry and is secretly plotting with Winnie a fridge opening technique to do a ‘raid’, we are managing to control his diabetes well, and he is once again a very happy boy, that loves life, including playing with his sister, and modelling for Funky Fido.
Until 8 weeks ago when we noticed a cloudy opacity to his right eye. Our local vet told us that within 12-18 months most dogs diagnosed with diabetes would lose a large % of their vision, and unfortunately ‘that was it’.
Although upset with this information, other than an opaque cloudiness, Jasper did not appear to have visual difficulties.
4 weeks ago he started having difficulty finding his way in the dark, and the cloudiness increased to a larger area of his eye, and difficulty tracking items including food with this eye.
I started to question the ‘that was it’ prognosis and treatment, and contemplated a review by a specialist eye vet.
Then last week, within a matter of days, Jasper literally lost complete vision in his right eye, and the same opacity suddenly started to take over his left eye.
But worst of all, he started bumping into things, falling down stairs, and his depth judgement (when he would go to jump on his recliner).. failed.
Jump..splat! Jump..splat! Walk.. bump.. bang!
Oh my goodness.. it was breaking my heart.
And with this.. came anxiety.
I made an appointment for Jasper to see a specialist eye vet.. please let there be something we can do to save his vision?
After a thorough examination, Dr Heather informed us that Jaspers vision was rapidly deteriorating. He could no longer see me.. his mum.. through his right eye. At best a blurred shape, and not for much longer.
The diabetes was causing rapid cataract formation, with extreme vision loss.
Total loss of vision would be inevitable within not months, but weeks.
The only way to save his sight, is to perform surgery.. preferably next week.
And the cost $5,500.
I felt sick. I wanted to cry. I wanted to just hold my little boy and tell him I’d look after him.. but I couldn’t.
Dr Heather was amazing.. she was patient, caring, empathetic.. so Jasper trusted her.
She spent time discussing how to care for a ‘blind dog’ and how to help Jasper living in a dark world.
She also discussed the cataract surgical procedure- what was involved.. and that if he were to have surgery.. there is a 95% chance of regaining complete vision.. YES.. 95% chance of success.
He would not be blind.
He would not be living in the dark.
He could see his Mummy again..
We could continue as our formidable fighting team!
But $5,500.. the heartbreaking reality hit me like a semi-trailer.
Financially, the surgery is impossible.
I have failed my boy.
Funky Fido is in its infancy, and a long way from the successful business I plan for it to be.
And my disability pension, does not even cover my basic living and medical expenses.
I am heartbroken.
I post a comment to our friends on Instagram updating @funkyfidos followers of the outcome of our appointment.
7 of our friends urged us to commence a Go Fund Me to enable Jasper to have this vision saving operation.
My first response : no (my pride got in the way)
My second response :no (embarrassment that I cannot provide and care for my ‘kids’
My 3rd & 4th response: ok (Jaspers vision IS my priority)
AND.. IF jasper loses his vision, the consequences will dramatically impact my health, not only on a physical level but emotional and spiritual too.
So.. here I am, with my piggy bank empty, and Jasper in urgent need for surgery to not only STOP his blindness, but regain his vision.
He is a brave little fighter that still has many years to bring joy to myself, his sister Winnie and all our amazing friends that love him dearly.
Whichever direction his ‘health journey’ takes him, I will love him unconditionally. And be there to support and guide him.. and protect him with whatever means I can.
I need him.
I love him.
I don’t want him to be scared of the dark.
I will continue to fight for me.
I will continue to fight for him.
But, it’s a tough gig.. and sometimes, you just need a little help.
Can you help, please?
All our love, woofs and waggles,
Mummy J, Jasper & Winnie xox
Jasper is my soul mate.. an 11 year old Westie who gives endless love to all he meets. But 6months ago he was diagnosed with diabetes. And he will now lose his sight within weeks if he does not receive immediate and urgent surgery.. did I say Jasper is also afraid of the dark?
Do you have a best friend? A 4 legged little companion that makes your life complete. Who keeps you company at 3am when the world is sleeping (but you’re not), can make you smile when the skies are dark, is the first to greet you when you arrive home, the last to snuggle up close when you’re sad.
11 years ago, Jasper melted my heart, and became part of my soul. The most adorable little West Highland terrier with white ‘floofy’ curls, 2 floppy ears, deep soulful eyes, and a heart that immediately beat as one with mine.
And every single day since, he has been by my side, my trusty companion and steadfast friend. My soulmate. My confidant. My protector. My boy.
He has a sixth sense.. or maybe it’s just because he’s my soul mate.. he knows when I’m feeling sad or scared, happy or joyful.. and reacts accordingly.
He’s always up for an adventure. He doesn’t care about the what, where, when or how.
It could be going to the letterbox, or to pull out some weeds in the garden, a trip in the van to Granmas house.
If I put on my shoes at 3am.. he’s standing at the door ready to come!
He doesn’t complain when I watch Mamma Mia and sing at the top of my voice, and growls protectively at the Walking Dead.
He doesn’t talk back..ok.. he tries.. but Mum always win (we’ve always had a joke that he’d go to the sausage roll factory if he doesn’t behave!).
He doesn’t care if I look silly, if I haven’t combed my hair, if I’ve put on 5kg, if my socks don’t match.
And if I ever leave the house without him, without fail, he’s so happy to see me when I come through the front door. Not just happy, but wiggle butt, arooooooo, lick you all over with excitement happy!
He doesn’t care how much money I (don’t) make, what postcode we live in, or what car we drive (as long as the windows wind down and he can feel the wind in his hair!).
He’s the BEST at keeping secrets- I can tell him anything, and not once has he ever told my secret to anyone.. except his fur sister Pip or Winnie.
We have conversations all day long, granted he doesn’t have much to say verbally, but all his head tilting, ear pointing, deeply gazing into my eyes and licks at the right moments confirms theres a lot of listening going on, and empathy and understanding.
He doesn’t care about privacy.. I watch him send ‘pee mail’..so he feels it’s his duty to join me in the bathroom too!
I just can’t imagine life without him.
Jasper is one of those ‘1in a million dogs’.
He literally keeps me alive.. no, he DOES in fact keep me alive.
9 years ago, I experienced the worst day of my life.
I sat in the middle of my lounge room floor, with Jasper and his twin sister Pip curled on my lap, licking away the tears that flowed like a waterfall down my cheeks.
I had just resigned from my position as a paediatric nurse.. having been told to ‘start preparing for the worst’. The lung disease I had contracted by ‘freak bad luck’ working as a paediatric/ NICU nurse 15 years prior, was now deemed terminal. I was not expected to live another 6months.
My health had been gradually deteriorating, with multiple ICU hospital admissions, reliance on portable oxygen to breathe, the need for a wheelchair for mobility, and multiple bone fractures without any reason.
I had become isolated and trapped in my home. 35 years old.. unable to work, unable to breathe, unable to shower or walk without assistance. And told to ‘prepare to die’.
So there I sat in the middle of the lounge room floor, Jasper and his twin sister Pippy curled on my lap, heads cocked to one side, licking away the tears as they streamed down my face.
We just sat there in silence.. comforting me as only dogs can, with warm cuddles and gentle licks and nudges.
This was it, the 15 years I’d been fighting, and it was coming to its final song.
But as the tears rolled down my cheeks, I knew I had to keep fighting. That Jasper and Pip would NEVER give up on me, so I couldn’t give up on them.
They never left my side. They lay between the tubes and buzzing machines. They stood guard as doctors, nurses, teams of ‘helpers’ entered their home.. making sure everyone knew that approval had to go through them!
They avoided the wheels of the wheelchair, and were thrilled to sit quietly upon my knee for ‘zoomies’. They never complained that Mum couldn’t take them walkies or play ‘chasey’ anymore.
And something special happened.. they “taught themselves” a system to keep me breathing at night. My lungs are tired.. when I sleep, my brain forgets to tell my lungs to breathe.. so I literally stop breathing. Every night Jasper lies with his head on my chest.. when I stop breathing (my chest stops rising) he squirms which wakes me.. if this doesn’t work.. he licks my face until I take a gasp (& start breathing again).
With the help of Mum and wonderful friends, and my 2 “bestie Westies’.. we fought hard.. and I survived those 6 months.. and then another.. and another.
Each day I wake with Jasper on my left shoulder.. some mornings he’s exhausted from a busy “night shift”.
Jasper and Pip gave me the strength and inspiration to start designing, creating and handcrafting dog collars, leashes and harnesses. I enjoyed the creativity and pride in creating these products for my own dogs, then family and friends, then at local markets, that I saw the potential in attempting to start my own small business: Funky Fido was born!
I had to start making plans, and to give myself a goal.. I was determined to live. And determined to find a medical treatment that could save my life. But, IF I were to find a treatment, I would need to be able to finance it. Not to mention I had “outlived my 6 months”.. medical costs and equipment are astronomical.. my health was (& is) extremely poor, I will never be able to work again.. and I had 2 fur kids relying on me!
Then, on Valentines Day last year, Jaspers beautiful twin sister Pip crossed the rainbow bridge after a very sudden and unexpected illness. It broke both Jasper and my hearts.
We both nearly gave up the ‘fight’.. but was blessed with the arrival of a sweet little white Westie floofball exactly 12months ago, who has helped return happiness and love to our home. Her name: Winnie Poohs. And we love her beyond words.
September last year, we had another devastating blow.. I fractured both hips unexpectedly (literally rolling over in bed), and had to go to hospital for major surgical intervention.
Jasper, being well cared for by close friends, suddenly lost 2kgs and became very unwell. We thought it was ‘separation anxiety’, but acting on a bad ‘gut feeling’, arranged for an urgent vet appointment. The separation anxiety expediated his first diabetic crisis.. he was 24hours from a catastrophic incident. Jasper has diabetes.
He started immediately on twice daily insulin injections.. and was brought into the hospital (with special permission) where he lay snuggled on my lap and stabilised his breathing and symptoms.
We arranged for discharge of myself from hospital the following day.
Jaspers diabetes took several weeks to stabilise, with a complete change in diet (strict meal times and change to a “raw” protein and vegetable based diet.. and NO more snacks, treats.. or ice cream!)
Plus twice daily insulin injections.
I laugh now at our sneaky attempts to get a pee sample.. we’d follow him around the garden with a urine dipstick, and as he cocked his leg, or squatted for a pee, we would quickly try to get in his ‘pee stream’.
He worked out to hide between trees, or that if he ran, I couldn’t follow with my walking frame.. cheeky bugger!
Although he ‘doesn’t like’ his insulin injections, is ALWAYS hungry and is secretly plotting with Winnie a fridge opening technique to do a ‘raid’, we are managing to control his diabetes well, and he is once again a very happy boy, that loves life, including playing with his sister, and modelling for Funky Fido.
Until 8 weeks ago when we noticed a cloudy opacity to his right eye. Our local vet told us that within 12-18 months most dogs diagnosed with diabetes would lose a large % of their vision, and unfortunately ‘that was it’.
Although upset with this information, other than an opaque cloudiness, Jasper did not appear to have visual difficulties.
4 weeks ago he started having difficulty finding his way in the dark, and the cloudiness increased to a larger area of his eye, and difficulty tracking items including food with this eye.
I started to question the ‘that was it’ prognosis and treatment, and contemplated a review by a specialist eye vet.
Then last week, within a matter of days, Jasper literally lost complete vision in his right eye, and the same opacity suddenly started to take over his left eye.
But worst of all, he started bumping into things, falling down stairs, and his depth judgement (when he would go to jump on his recliner).. failed.
Jump..splat! Jump..splat! Walk.. bump.. bang!
Oh my goodness.. it was breaking my heart.
And with this.. came anxiety.
I made an appointment for Jasper to see a specialist eye vet.. please let there be something we can do to save his vision?
After a thorough examination, Dr Heather informed us that Jaspers vision was rapidly deteriorating. He could no longer see me.. his mum.. through his right eye. At best a blurred shape, and not for much longer.
The diabetes was causing rapid cataract formation, with extreme vision loss.
Total loss of vision would be inevitable within not months, but weeks.
The only way to save his sight, is to perform surgery.. preferably next week.
And the cost $5,500.
I felt sick. I wanted to cry. I wanted to just hold my little boy and tell him I’d look after him.. but I couldn’t.
Dr Heather was amazing.. she was patient, caring, empathetic.. so Jasper trusted her.
She spent time discussing how to care for a ‘blind dog’ and how to help Jasper living in a dark world.
She also discussed the cataract surgical procedure- what was involved.. and that if he were to have surgery.. there is a 95% chance of regaining complete vision.. YES.. 95% chance of success.
He would not be blind.
He would not be living in the dark.
He could see his Mummy again..
We could continue as our formidable fighting team!
But $5,500.. the heartbreaking reality hit me like a semi-trailer.
Financially, the surgery is impossible.
I have failed my boy.
Funky Fido is in its infancy, and a long way from the successful business I plan for it to be.
And my disability pension, does not even cover my basic living and medical expenses.
I am heartbroken.
I post a comment to our friends on Instagram updating @funkyfidos followers of the outcome of our appointment.
7 of our friends urged us to commence a Go Fund Me to enable Jasper to have this vision saving operation.
My first response : no (my pride got in the way)
My second response :no (embarrassment that I cannot provide and care for my ‘kids’
My 3rd & 4th response: ok (Jaspers vision IS my priority)
AND.. IF jasper loses his vision, the consequences will dramatically impact my health, not only on a physical level but emotional and spiritual too.
So.. here I am, with my piggy bank empty, and Jasper in urgent need for surgery to not only STOP his blindness, but regain his vision.
He is a brave little fighter that still has many years to bring joy to myself, his sister Winnie and all our amazing friends that love him dearly.
Whichever direction his ‘health journey’ takes him, I will love him unconditionally. And be there to support and guide him.. and protect him with whatever means I can.
I need him.
I love him.
I don’t want him to be scared of the dark.
I will continue to fight for me.
I will continue to fight for him.
But, it’s a tough gig.. and sometimes, you just need a little help.
Can you help, please?
All our love, woofs and waggles,
Mummy J, Jasper & Winnie xox
Organizer
Juls Funkyfido
Organizer
Springvale South, VIC