Our dog, Ellie Grace, has been part of our family for more than 12 years. She has been there through so many chapters of our lives: from me moving in, to us getting married, to settling into our home, and bringing home our daughter. And right now, she needs us to be there for her.

Ellie has recently been dealing with some major medical issues, including diabetes and pancreatitis. Right now, she is finally home from a 3 day stay at the emergency vet, and now we are working to get her healthy and stable. We are doing everything we can to give her the care she needs, and we aren't going to let this keep our girl down.

Anyone who has known us for a while probably knows that Ellie isn't just our dog. She's our first-born fur child. Our 4-year-old daughter has grown up with Ellie as her "big sister," and watching Ellie struggle has been especially hard on all of us. After more than a decade with this goofy, loving dog by our side, seeing her suddenly not feel like herself has been heartbreaking.

We're also facing the reality that giving Ellie this level of care is expensive. Her extended ER stay, testing, treatments, medications, insulin, prescription food, follow-up care, and other medical expenses are adding up quickly.

Asking for financial help isn't easy for us, but right now, we could genuinely use it.

My daughter's and my birthdays are coming up, and usually I ask friends and family to donate to a cause rather than give me gifts or "stuff." This year, I'm asking for something a little closer to home: help us take care of Ellie.

If you were thinking about sending a gift, buying a trinket, or doing anything at all (awfully presumptuous of me to asume that!), please consider putting that toward Ellie's care instead. There is absolutely no obligation to donate. Sharing this fundraiser with others helps us, too.

Anything we receive will go toward Ellie's veterinary and medical expenses and help take some of the financial pressure off our family so we can focus on getting her healthy and bringing her home.

We love this little dog an unreasonable amount, and we're not done fighting for her yet.

Thank you for loving Ellie—and our family—enough to help.