Hi - We are the Hern's. We run a very small horse breeding operation which runs on a tight budget. We are able to budget our routine horse care and feed. We also know that with horses - to expect the unexpected - which usually runs into some money spent at the vet! However, what we are faced with now isn't something that can be cured with antibiotics or a stitch job.

We have a filly named Rosie who was born on 3/14/15. Within the first 24 hours we noticed she struggled to breathe. We called the vet out before the sun set on her first day out in the real world. We started antibiotics thinking she had aspirated milk and may be getting a touch of pneumonia. We watched her closely, followed the vet instructions, gave her all the necessary meds and care to move towards a speedy recovery. Our vet came out to check on Rosie 2-3 times a week or we hauled her to the vet. She was under very watchful eyes.

But no matter our efforts, Rosie did not improve. Luckily, she didn't take a huge decline either. Her eyes looked stressed, she heaved for air, she couldn't run and play like a foal should be doing and she started to display foamy slobber on her mouth. She just stayed safely by her Mom's side and enjoyed the sunshine. She continued to grow and tolerated our twice daily medical care well. After almost 3 weeks, her case was escalated to UC Davis (UCD). Our vet coordinated the visit on our behalf and knowing we were on a tight budget so we went in expecting to pay up to $600 to get a diagnosis for Rosie's struggle and hopefully an effective path-forward to recovery.

Once at UCD, and after a long and stressful day of about 7 hours of tests, specialists, a diagnostic scope down her nose / throat, and a resulting emergency tracheotomy as once sedated she started to crash as she couldn't receive air (which the vets anticipated - thank goodness!) - we had our diagnosis. Due to a congential defect - Rosie's throat structure wasn't working correctly - part of her throat is paralyzed.

The vet shared horses that present with something like this usually present with lethargy, weight loss, pneumonia, depression, sickly, etc. They were shocked at how healthy she was - almost miraculous considering her health challenge of breathing through a sliver, literally a sliver, of space in her throat. Knowing our budget constraints, it was decided to fit Rosie with a temporary trach assembly and give her some time to rest and BREATHE! - while we all regrouped. Of course, our original $600 dollar estimate, even with the best efforts to shave costs at UCD, ended up being $1100. You know how that goes...

So after reviewing in depth all of Rosie's records and talking to other specialists throughout the vet community, the wonderful UCD vet crew shared the good news. Rosie is an excellent surgery candidate due to her good health and strength. She is expected that with a permanent trach she can lead a fairly normal life - light to medium riding and go on to be a broodmare / Mom - when the time is right. They even led an effort and obtained a small grant to go towards Rosie's expenses. We are very thankful for their efforts.

However, the not so good news is the estimated expenses are more than the grant - and more than our family budget can allow for. Due to our personal situation, CareCredit, credit cards, etc. is not an option for us. So, as we left Davis with Rosie and her temporary trach, we came to the decision that if she "didn't get better on her own" which there is a very small chance she will improve, we will be faced with putting her down.

For those of you who have ever lived on a farm or ranch, living and dying is part of the package deal. The smiles, laughter, and wonder in Spring when a new baby is born and starts playing and investigating the world. That is one of the reasons we breed horses - so our 3 year old daughter can be part of all of "the good life". But there is the other side of it... the broken hearts, tears, and saying good-bye that comes with the burden of the love of animals. My thoughts were "Jerry and I are tough - we're practical - we'll get through this". I needed to buck up and face reality - she might not make it.

We started our daily regime on April 6th. Partial trach replacement, throat wound clean-up and care, and multiple meds twice a day at 4am and 6pm - full trach replacement every other day. Pulling the tape off her delicate neck - it sticking to her partially shaved hair and mane is the worst for her. She jumps a bit and pulls away some - but she's a trooper. She's happy because she can breathe! Rosie continues to thrive and we continue to be amazed with her strength and positive attitude. No animal likes to be poked and prodded, given meds, hair pulled on, etc. Rosie stands as quietly as possible while we work on her - we keep thinking "what a good girl - what are we doing to do???".

We have her follow-up visit next Wednesday, 4/22. They plan to do surgery the following day. UCD knows our situation and they will need a decision on 4/22. It's go time. No matter how "tough and realistic" Jerry and I tried to be - we just don't see putting down such a healthy filly with a good prognosis. If we move forward with the surgery we know this means she will probably always live with us to ensure her continued care is done - and we are ok with that.

So, I find myself here - taking a chance - asking for help. I can't let her go without even trying to find a solution to help her. We also know we don't have this kind of money available. We are willing to put in the time to do the doctoring, the "wet" work, the meds, etc. and all the money we can wring out of our budget - to give Rosie a chance.

Please give if you can. We would appreciate it if you share our story forward. I know there are many causes out there and this might seem small in the grand scheme of things. However it isn't small to us - and it certainly isn't small to Rosie. Thank you for reading my novel and I appreciate your time and consideration.