Hi - my name is Bec, and this is Mango:

Mango came into my life as a foster kitten, she was an orphan, covered in fleas, full of worms and needed to be bottle-fed every 2 hours until she was able to eat solids. Raising newborn orphan kittens is always somewhat exhausting, but for Mango, the first few weeks were incredibly rough. Mango had barely pooped and as a result had a lot of problems eating (she was so full of poop, she couldn't keep food down). Instead of growing big like the other kittens, she grew frailer. Everyone, including several vets, assured me that it was just constipation and that it would pass. But I sensed that Mango had much more serious medical challenges ahead. Eventually, it got so dire that I was giving Mango enemas just to offer her some relief and keep her alive.

After many nights of research, I figured out that she had ‘atresia ani’, a congenital (born with) condition where she could not poop. During her development in the womb, her anus did not form properly. Essentially, Mango’s colon has an extremely narrow, malformed section bottle-necking her digestive system that desperately needs to be removed. It causes waste to build up inside of her and as a result, her whole life Mango has had constant and extreme constipation.

Many people, including several vets Mango saw, recommended I euthanize Mango. That has not and never will be me though. Mango wasn't giving up, and neither was I!

I doubled down on my commitment to love her and formally adopted Mango.

I love her so so much. She is my world.

Mango's condition is super rare. After trying to get her help from 4 different general practice vets (many of whom really tried their best to help), I knew the best and likely only place for Mango to be surgically treated by someone familiar with atresia ani, was UC Davis Vet Hospital.

All I want is for Mango to have a liveable quality of life, free from constant and exhausting pain. When you don't live with Mango, it might not sound like a big deal - but I see Mango suffering 24/7. Every few hours when she poops, the pain is so intense and overwhelming on her tiny frame that she literally screams in pain. Her butt is red and raw and keeps getting infected.

This last month has been especially challenging. While waiting for surgery, Mango has been on a lot of medication to keep her as healthy as possible. She takes laxatives every day, to be able to poop - and this has been exhausting for her. She's essentially had diarrhea for nearly one month straight.

While there have been previous attempts to help her, through colon balloon dilations, today she finally went into surgery for a procedure called ‘Rectal Pull-Through’. Her colon will be getting pulled out of her until they find the area with a 'regular' colon diameter. The narrowed section will be cut-off and removed, and the remaining colon will be stitched to her anus.

Over the last 4 weeks, I've spent well over $6,000. From pre-surgery exams to emergency visits to the actual surgery cost today. I can afford the surgery today, but my biggest worry is that she will likely have follow-up care/surgeries/procedures. Her anus is so inflamed, that there’s a significant chance her sutures won't hold. She will be under close observation for a few nights in the hospital post-surgery, in case this happens immediately. But if it happens at all, she will need to be sedated again, brought into the operating room and re-stitched. Given her severe condition, the vet warned this may happen several times over. I am worried about the cost of future procedures Mango will need, and my savings are depleting. No matter what, I'll figure out a way to pay for everything but if you can help me at all, I would be so grateful.

Some of the invoices this last month: