Hamlet/Ham/Hammy/Little Guy, our floppy basset hound, was diagnosed with non-epitheliotropic cutaneous lymphoma (T-cell) on December 20, 2024, just two days after turning 5. Since then, we have been in a relentless battle to give him the best possible care, but the road has been far more difficult and costly than we ever could have imagined.

Hamlet started his first round of chemotherapy (CCNU) on January 3, 2025, and at first, we were incredibly hopeful. He responded well and saw substantial improvements. But after just three of the planned six rounds, he stopped responding to treatment. By late February, new lesions began appearing, and the oncologist recommended pivoting to a different chemo treatment, Adriamycin.

We switched his steroid from prednisone to dexamethasone and started the new chemotherapy regimen on March 13, 2025. Unfortunately, Hamlet had severe reactions, landing him in the ER just days later. To make things worse, more lesions quickly developed, especially around his nose and mouth. After seeing these, the oncologist advised against continuing Adriamycin.

Now, we are trying a new approach with Elspar, an enzyme therapy rather than traditional chemotherapy. We are hopeful this will give him more time and a better quality of life, as it's one of the last options we have before accepting the palliative care approach.

When we committed to fighting this, we knew it would be expensive. We planned for it and budgeted accordingly. If CCNU had worked, we were ready for the cost associated with it. The failed treatments, the emergency visits, and the new therapies have tripled what we expected. And three months later—though it feels like three years—here we are.

If you can donate even a little, it would mean the world to us. Every dollar goes toward Hamlet’s care—giving him more time, more love, and more of the life he deserves. And if you can’t donate, we completely understand. Sharing his story, sending good thoughts, or just keeping him in your heart means just as much.

Your support, kind words, and encouragement have meant the world to us throughout this.