Milo's Emergency Surgery

It's a grounding experience to find yourself relying on the generosity of others. There is no easy way to ask, and no matter which words I choose to write, there's a second guess with each one. To those who know us personally, thank you for being here. And to those who don't, I'll thank you nevertheless—but with a little more context.

So hi, I'm Gabe, a first-time California resident, pet owner, and gofundme description writer. I live in Los Angeles with my partner Elizabeth, where we spend most of our days hanging out with our recently-adopted 1-year-old cats, Milo and Pepino. These two are a bundle of joy as they are a bundle of chaos—a fact more accurate than I'd like to admit.

Over the weekend, we noticed Milo wasn't quite himself. His usual chirps and meows disappeared alongside his appetite. And whatever he did eat, it'd be on the floor within a few hours. We initially thought it was from an upset stomach and were ready to take him to his vet in the morning—but some projectile vomit and alarming lethargy said otherwise.

So at 7 pm Sunday, we rushed him to the nearest emergency vet hospital. Come 2 am Monday, and we're told Milo would need surgery. An x-ray and ultrasound confirmed a foreign body lodged within his intestinal tract; if it were to move further, we'd risk losing him. Naturally, that wasn't an option, so we signed off on the procedure and paid $10,000. While the sticker shock was hard to swallow, it would be nothing compared to the alternative.

36 hours later, we finally hear from the surgeon. His operation was successful, and he'd be home within a day. I'm happy to write Milo is currently attached to his mom’s hip and quickly recovering, cone and all.

Now the biggest question is a matter of mathematics. Our impromptu visit to the ER set us back our entire savings (we had no idea our local emergency vet was the most expensive in the country). We don't regret a thing but do find ourselves shaken with uncertainty. We have a lot of big plans for our little family, and we'd like to think we're just getting started.

So we end where we began, praying the generosity of others can help us get through. There are no expectations, and we are beyond grateful for any consideration. Thank you!

Your friends,

— Gabriel, Elizabeth, Milo, & Pepino