Go Fund Mia

Hey everybody. As many of you know, we adopted a new pup recently named Mia. We think she’s part duck tolling retriever, part angel baby. Although we’ve only had her for a couple weeks, we can’t imagine our lives without her. 

Unfortunately, much of the short time she’s been a member of our family has been spent in the hospital. Days after bringing Mia home, she started vomiting, not eating, and was visibility stressed. This broke our hearts because we thought she wasn’t adjusting well to apartment life. We took her to the vet where she was diagnosed with parvo – an often lethal puppy virus with no cure. (Later we learned the shelter knew there had been an outbreak and called adopters to warn them. They forgot us.)

We rushed her to a hospital where she was admitted for close monitoring, and after a few agonizing days, we were told that she had stabilized. We were over the moon. But soon after bringing her home, her symptoms came back worse than before. The virus hadn’t run its course, and was now in her bone marrow. Doctors told us it would be an uphill battle, but there was hope.

While they worked to boost Mia’s immune system through IVs, medication, and therapy, we waited for our daily phone calls on her prognosis. Our apartment felt empty. Then came another phone call: Mia was coming home. Again. After bracing ourselves for grief, the delirium of good news gave us whiplash.

Since bringing her home for good, Mia only continues to improve. She still needs medicine and quarantine, but she’s back to being a hungry, mischievous, tornado. We never thought we’d say this, but we’re so deeply grateful to wake up at 3am for potty breaks.

It’s been a whirlwind to say the least. But now that Mia is (hopefully) safe, we’re still dealing with terrible news: the insurance policy we signed up for is not covering her parvo. We bought pet insurance as soon as we got her, but since she became sick so quickly, it didn’t clear the policy’s holding period. Mia’s hospital bills were astronomical, totaling $14K. With our wedding coming up later this year, we’re in a tough spot, even with the help our families have already offered.

Which brings us to a position we never wanted to be in: asking for help. We’re embarrassed. We don’t expect to meet our full goal, but truthfully any amount would be incredibly generous. And we would never expect an additional wedding gift at the end of the year. 

We know what you’re thinking: Sick puppy? What’s in it for me? Well friend, we’re prepared to grease the wheels. Here are some of the glamorous prizes for our top investors:

$10 - Mia’s Mobilizer: You will receive a grateful text from Mia’s parents asking you to grab a drink this summer.

$20 - Mia’s Mentor: We will feed Mia a piece of chicken during her training and tell her that it’s from you. (along with previous reward)

$50 - Mia’s Maniac: You will receive a special video message from Mia. (along with previous rewards)

$100 - Mia’s Miracle: You will receive a personalized autographed “thank you” photo of Mia to hang on your fridge. (along with previous rewards)

$250 - Mama Mia: You are an honorary dogparent of Mia for the rest of her life. When she’s healthy enough, she will visit you first. (along with previous rewards)

If you’d rather send good vibes from afar, that’s okay too. We know times are tough. We fully accept prayers for Mia’s continued health and our sanity.

We love you all a lot.

Rachel, Steve, & Mia