Julio’s Medical Bills

Nick Donofrio is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Stephen Okala.

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Hi Everyone -

Last night (11Sep2020) our little Julio suffered a herniated disc close to his spine causing near paralysis in his two back legs. He is unable to use his back legs, but still has feeling in them. After a sleepless night and 12+ hours later, we are told Julio will need a costly surgery to alleviate the pressure on his spine in order to use his back legs again.

Some of you may not know Julio, so let us tell you about some of his favorite things:
- He adores his big pitbull brother, Brody and shows this affection by bullying him and loving on him every chance he gets
- The most enthusiastic greetings every time we walk in the door
- Shoving his ball/toy in anyone’s lap in the vicinity (you will be forced to play)
- ZOOMIES ALL DAY (this probably should be number 1 on the list)
- He is a protector of the house and believes he is a dedicated guard dog (only ever caught off guard if napping)
- Not only is he a protector of the house, no matter who you are he believes he is your personal body guard and will follow you EVERYWHERE you go making sure you are safe (we call it being nosey, but won’t tell him this)
- He loves his mom & dad
- He is a lover of all people and fellow puppers

The past day has been an absolute whirlwind and we are still trying to digest how something seemingly so small can have such a devastating impact on our loving, full of life little guy. Seeing him in such pain and so helpless is heartbreaking. If we opt out of surgery Julio has a great chance of being paralyzed in his back legs for the rest of his life.

The neurologist stated that this surgery has an 85 percent success rate. Because Julio is only 2 years old we are praying to be able to give him the long and healthy life he deserves.

Stephen and I never thought we would be in a position to create a gofundme, but with the looming cost of surgery, advice and support from friends and family, we decided to give it a shot. Any donation towards his surgery is so appreciated and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will be sure to provide updates to you on his progress.