This is my best friend, Elre.  


Elre is having surgery on Friday, July 6th to remove a cancerous tumor from eir breast.  In order to have the surgery, ey is going to have to pay $2,200 at the hospital upon arrival, and we don't yet know what the financial impact will be from follow up appointments, costs of medication, and time off from work.  Coincidentally, we are all preparing ourselves for a record-breaking heat wave this weekend, which will make recovery that much more uncomfortable.

Elre is a compassionate animal lover who regularly works six-day weeks as a Registered Vet Tech (RVT) and does in-home visits to help care for pets who need medicine administered or a little TLC (and food and water) while their humans are away.

This big doggo gives Elre four paws up!

In addition to fostering (and sometimes adopting) kitties, bunnies, and even a sweet little rat for a while, Elre regularly takes phone calls and texts from friends (like me) who are concerned about our own pets' health, and has never hesitated to offer guidance based on eir knowledge and experience.  

Noodle has an itchy face and hates the cone, but loves Elre! 

Being an RVT is a incredibly difficult job - the physical demands of wrestling with an ornery rottweiler don't even compare to the emotional impact of losing a patient, or knowing that a client might have to turn down life-saving treatment for their furry (or scaly) loved ones because the cost is too high.  

And now, here we are.  

My best friend needs your help.

 The good news is this:  Elre is not alone.  Ey has all of us in eir corner, offering to give rides, bring food, and help with chores....

...but stress can interfere with the recovery process, and financial stress is the worst kind of stress there is.  

Earlier this week, Facebook started asking me to pick a cause to ask my friends and family to donate to in honor of my upcoming 40th birthday.

I can think of no cause better than to help make sure that my best friend gets through this surgery with as little stress as possible.  

Please consider donating to the campaign to help Elre fight breast cancer.   Even $5, $10, or $20 will help cover the extra costs of having to run the A/C all day while recovering at home for a few days.

Frankie the Goat says donate today! 

Together we can kick cancer's ass!