Help Save Sophie – Life-Changing Surgery for Our Sweet Boston Terrier

Our beloved Boston Terrier, Sophie, means the world to us. She’s more than a pet—she’s our child.

In July of last year, Sophie ruptured a disc in her neck and was paralyzed for a month. It was terrifying—we truly thought we were going to lose her. By some miracle, she pulled through.

Now, she’s facing another life-threatening challenge. In April, Sophie ruptured a second disc, this time in her lower back. Without surgery, she’s at serious risk of future paralysis or even death from another rupture.

Sophie is a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure called Percutaneous Laser Disc Ablation (PLDA), developed at Oklahoma State University. This surgery reduces the chance of another rupture down to 4.5%, she is currently at 70-90% risk of rupturing another disc at anytime with even the simplest of movements. This would offer Sophie the best chance at a healthy, pain-free future.

WHAT IS PLDA?

Percutaneous laser disk ablation (PLDA) is a minimally-invasive procedure developed at Oklahoma State University to reduce the risk of recurrent Intervertebral Disk Herniation (IVDH) in dogs.

Dogs experiencing an IVDH episode have a 20 to 50% risk of recurrence. Veterinary PLDA—adapted from a human procedure—reduces the recurrence risk to a mere 4.5%. This is achieved by removing the central part of the intervertebral disk (the nucleus pulposus) through ablation, ensuring it cannot rupture in the future.

The procedure can be performed on dogs who have had a previous episode of IVDH that has been surgically or medically managed or as a preventive measure for at-risk dogs.

We’re fundraising not only for the cost of her surgery, but also the travel and accommodations required to get her there and stay with her while she recovers.

After Katie suffered a stroke in 2020, we learned that having natural-born children isn’t in the cards for us. Sophie has filled that space in our hearts—she’s our family. Helping her now is everything to us.

If you feel called to support Sophie’s journey, we are so grateful for any donation or share. Every bit brings us closer to keeping our girl safe and giving her the life she deserves.

Thank you for being part of her story.