Rachel, Diamond, and a Daunting Diagnosis

Diamond is a 9-year-old, green-eyed black cat. She's been a healthy, happy, and loving companion for the bulk of her life.

A few months ago, she started vomiting regularly and losing weight. After a series of expensive tests and procedures (ultra-sounds, radiographs, IV fluids, surgery and biopsies of her lymph nodes, kidney, and intestines), she was diagnosed with cancerous lymphoma.

The fluids and medications Diamond was prescribed seemed to be substantially mitigating her illness. However, she recently lost her appetite again, was taken in overnight for more procedures, and has begun chemotherapy.

If Diamond can continue with her course of care, her vets feel her prognosis will be good. But, by the end of this weekend (July 4th), the cost of that care will likely fall somewhere between $10,000 and $12,000. And the bills will continue to add up.

At every step of the way, Diamond's owner, Rachel Ayers, has made sacrifices to ensure she has the best possible chances both of survival, itself, and survival that will continue into a good quality of life. With each new bill, she found a way to justify the cost, resigned herself to the additional months it will take to pay off student loans, credit card debt, and more.

Rachel is a librarian at a public library in Alaska, and her income simply doesn’t allow for moments like these to be manageable without real risk. She is overwhelmed, scared, and struggling to understand how she can literally afford to preserve the life of someone she loves, someone for whom she is entirely responsible.

It is an experience of helplessness and paralysis that so many animal lovers know. And it is also one that only animal lovers can truly understand.

Rachel lives alone. During the epidemic, her cats have been her most consistent companions, and a vital source of connection, of feeling loved. She wants so much to make sure Diamond, in turn, receives the love she deserves. The idea of not being able to sustain her care without risking untenable financial instability is excruciating.

If you’ve ever been in a position like Rachel’s, you know the support of others—support of every kind—means so very much. We are asking that you consider supporting Rachel at this time by donating funds toward only half of the costs she’s already incurred.

So many of us know what it means to be able to offer our best, to be sincere in our claim that we’re doing absolutely all we can. And so many of us know what it means to doubt those claims. Making some dent in these costs will not only affect Rachel’s ability to continue Diamond’s care, but also her ability to feel she is, indeed, doing everything she possibly can do.

That means the world to her, too.

Please help, if you can.

Thank you so much for reading. Take care, be well.

UPDATE from Rachel:

"The chemo treatment is extremely reasonable and manageable, although there will be a bit more back and forth to get to the vet.

"The vet tech was impressed with her improvement; he said a lot of cats who come in with her condition (the electrolyte imbalance and digestive chemistry problems that she had when her system crashed from the stress) could take a few days to stabilize; getting her home the next day and seeing the little bit of weight gain and attitude/energy improvement over the two days was remarkable and promising.

"The last two days have been wonderful.  She's back to being snuggly and constantly purring.  She's ravenous (again: steroids, but also the good appetite is a really good sign).  The other cats are pretty irritated that they aren't getting any of this delicious canned food (sometimes I let them lick the spoon though...) but they've stopped hissing at Diamond like she's a medical alien monster.

"Again, I can hardly express my gratitude for all the help, kindness, and good wishes everyone has had for this little critter."