My name is Justin, and I created this GoFundMe for my cat - George (George E. Cat III, for full transparency). Anybody who knows me personally knows that I have a difficult time asking for help... So this is pretty hard for me to do right now. But unfortunately, George and I are in a situation where I'm asking for a little help.

George, whom I adopted at 2 years old and is now 7, was recently diagnosed with a condition known as Chylothorax. Chylothorax, simply put, is a condition/situation where fluid from the Lymphatic vessels (a collection of fats, immuno cells, and other things) leaks into the chest cavity due to a rupture in one or multiple vessels. This creates what's called Pleural Effusion, which affects his breathing - his lungs, and ultimately his heart. Sometimes there's an underlying disease or condition that can be the reason - but in George's case, there wasn't. This type of situation is called Idiopathic. Basically, anything or nothing could have caused this. And over time, if left untreated, it can result in repeated fluid build-up - which can lead to unrepairable damage. This essentially will worsen breathing to the point of being unable to breathe correctly, which can end up costing the cat (or dog's) life. It could take months, or it could take years. It's a somewhat rare condition that can pop up out of nowhere in an otherwise healthy animal. It can be treated, and stopped, but every situation is different.

In the process of trying to identify whats going on, I've had to put him through test, after test, after test - x-rays, ultrasounds, an echocardiogram, blood tests, fluid tests, and now a CT Scan. George has checked negative for any other possible underlying condition including cancer, heart disease/failure, FIP/FIV, and other infections. He's also received a Chest Tap (now two) to drain most of the fluid out of his chest. Taps sometimes come at a risk though - there is a slight risk of infection, and if you do it too many times, you risk Fibrosis of the lungs in the chest cavity. I feel AWFUL that I'm having to put him through this... But I don't want to leave any stone unturned in this process, and I don't want to miss a thing. I would do anything to save his life. If Chylothorax is left untreated, it can eventually lead to something I don't even want to think about - death, or euthanasia.

Right now, we're still in the early stages and this is something that has a good probability of being fixed. I'm still pending a few results, including the CT, but everything is looking like we caught this early and George has a pretty good shot at recovery.

All of that to say, I've put a ton of money that I don't freely have into just the testing alone to figure out how to fix this condition. In testing ALONE, outside of the CT Scan, I paid over $4,000... And now with the CT Scan, there will be another $3,200 to $3,400 tacked onto that amount. And if surgery is the only fix for him... That's an additional $10,000 to $12,000. I'm doing my best to tackle one thing at a time and to keep my head above water, but I'm starting to drown. I've racked up a ton of credit debt taking care of this so far, and now I'm starting to dip into my checking account. I'm doing everything I can, and I'm doing the best I can to afford everything, but it's getting to the point where I can't afford anything else and I don't know what to do. I don't spend my money frivously (hell, I don't even remember the last time I took a vacation), and work as much as I can. Unfortunately, I'm at a point where I have no idea how to afford everything.

This is where I'm asking for help for my best friend, George. I know some people look at pets like they're just that - pets. But George is more than that to me... He's literally my best friend. He chose me years ago when I adopted him... He stuck his arm outside of his cage and reached out to me when I was just on a normal trip to PetsMart. I gave him some head scratches, and asked the clerk to let me hold him. The moment I was able to, he crawled up onto my chest, and I knew then and there he was something special. He would never be back in that cage again.

George is the sweetest soul you'll ever meet - and anyone who has met him, would say the same. Always the first one to greet you at the door, regardless if he knows you or not. He's so gentle with everyone; I can't even tell you how many times I've had people who don't like cats, tell me that they love him. He's that type of personality - just a sweet, gentle cat.

But with George and I, there's a bond I've never shared with anything or anyone else. He has been there for me so many times over the years - times where I was at my lowest. Whether I was sick, depressed, having a panic attack... It didn't matter - he was there, rubbing his head against me and laying down on or next to me to let me know he was there and he was going to be by my side. I can safely say that if it wasn't for him, I don't even know how I would have managed some of the events I've been through over the past few years. He quite literally has saved my life. He is the most intelligent and loving cat I've ever known.

It's now my turn to do everything I can to save him, like he did with me. He doesn't deserve this - he's a perfectly healthy cat, outside of this situation. And he's still so young - too young to be dealing with something like this. He deserves a long, happy life - and I'm trying to do everything I can to give him that. I would gladly trade 10 years of my life to give a healthy and happy 10 more for him. Watching this happen to him is breaking my heart, and even though he's doing pretty good right now, I'm terrified that he'll regress in the future if I don't do everything I can for him.

I'm asking for help to cover his medical expenses as I'm getting to a point where I'm financially stretched as far as I can go. Anything would be helpful - and if you can't contribute, even sharing would be helpful. Again, I've always had a thing about asking for help - it's hard for me to do, and especially publicly like this. But... I really need help for George. I've barely been sleeping, and all of my free-time has been spent making sure George is being taken care of as much as possible. I will gladly do that for him, but it's been very challenging. Every time I leave, I get anxiety dread that I'll come back home to him in a worse state than when I left him. Mentally and emotionally, it's really, really taking a toll on me. But again, I'll gladly trade those to make sure he's okay.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and/or contribute. It means the world to George and I. If you do contribute - please message/text me so I can thank you personally, and so George can thank you personally too.

Hug and love on your best friends. Hopefully nothing like this ever happens to them.