Hello and thank you for being here. I am writing on behalf of my dear friend Kelly Risher as a request for mutual aid following the tragic and sudden loss of her beloved companion, her cat David. The funds raised from this page will be paid directly to Kelly to relieve the financial strain from the cost of the vet visit, euthanasia, and cremation, as well as a portion intended to provide supplemental support due to the loss of time in grieving. More details on the exact expenses are outlined below.

The story, as told by Kelly:

Monday morning, David was fine. I noticed he wasn’t coming around that evening, but that’s not entirely abnormal for a cat. He woke me up at 2am with the most awful howling. I checked on him and he was cold, lethargic, clearly very sick, not interested in food or water. I called the emergency vet and they agreed that we couldn’t risk waiting through the night.

An ultrasound showed either cancerous tumors or heart disease. Invasive evaluations could cost up to $5,000, and it could harm or even kill him in the process. We collectively agreed that euthanasia was the most ethical decision, for David and for our family.

We spent as much time with him as we could, but he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. By 5:30 in the morning, he was put to rest in my arms, with my 11 year old son at my side. I gave my son the agency to decide whether he would be in the room, and he wanted to be there with David as he went.

Additional Context:

Kelly is a hardworking, dedicated single mother, living with multiple disabilities and navigating life as a queer woman of the trans experience. Not only that, but she has faced a multitude of tragedies and challenges in recent years. Her elderly mother got sick in 2022, at which point Kelly was confronted with leaving her job and taking on the difficult responsibility of caring for her mother. This involved frequent travel from Cincinnati to Columbus, eventually selling her mother’s home and moving her into long-term care. What was initially viewed as a temporary setback has now cost her over three years of her life. Additionally, around the time her mother got sick, a past unsettled debt from a home foreclosure in 2008 caught up to her, and her wages were garnished. The timing of this could not have been worse; Kelly had no choice but to put that on hold as she was urgently preoccupied with establishing her mother’s care and picking up the pieces from all that fell apart in that regard.

Presently, Kelly is in the process of filing bankruptcy. She is actively seeking employment. She is drug and nicotine free, very rarely consumes alcohol, regularly attends talk therapy, life coaching, mood management, and psychiatry. She has had a long and successful career in financial services and is a professional working musician. She balances all of this while being the absolute best mother to her 11-year-old son, and maintains a healthy shared parenting relationship with his other parent.

At her core, Kelly is a compassionate, brave, genuinely loving human being. She has been through absolute hell and is reaching out for support that I know in my bones she would freely give to another if the roles were reversed. In the time that I’ve been blessed to get to know Kelly, she has time and again shown unwavering support, honesty, and humility in every interaction. Those who know her in any capacity understand what an outstanding friend, mother, and community member she truly is. Asking for help is not an easy thing to do. Admitting that you’re out of options and resources is exceptionally painful in its own way. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll consider making a contribution to this fund. If anyone is deserving of some relief from crisis after catastrophe, it’s this woman and her son. Thank you in advance for your support, and be blessed.

Expenses & Needs:

The total bill at the vet clinic at the time of David’s passing was $1,123.83. Funds raised up to this amount would be covering the emergency evaluation, IV, euthanasia, cremation with an urn, three sets of paw/nose prints, a mold paw print, and a clipping of his fur.

The difference in the vet bill and the goal amount of $3,000 equals $1,876.17. These funds are being requested to assist with the growing stack of bills, rent, groceries, and other cost of living expenses. In addition, Kelly and her son Theo are looking into adopting a new furry family member following their time of grieving. Any spare expenses raised would support them in all that is involved when bringing home a new pet (supplies, establishing veterinary care, and various miscellaneous items).