Hi, my name is Kelly and I'm fundraising for my foster kitten Dahlia. She is a ten-week-old adorable but fragile kitten in immediate need of medical intervention and surgery due to her condition, Pectus Excavatum. To save her life, she needs a minimum of $2000, which will cover her surgery ($2k-2.5K). The specialist exam ($145) and the initial vet exam and X-rays ($306) have been paid by me.

The green line is where her rib cage should be :(

Dahlia comes from a home of six female cats and 18 kittens of varied ages. Dahlia herself comes from a litter of six, but a seventh sibling was born deceased. Dahlia's congenital deformity wasn't immediately evident until it was noticed she wasn't growing at the same rate as her five siblings - to date she is half their size. Her torso/chest was different as well, shorter and flatter and a deep divet seen right above her stomach. I took her to the vet and he confirmed she has Pectus Excavatum or "sunken chest". This is when the breastbone is mishappened and presses inward, limiting the space for the heart and lungs to grow in. It was then I immediately thought of Kitten Lady's kitten Spinach, born with the same condition and the documented journey of saving her life with corrective surgery at three weeks old.

Her deformed chest can be seen here.

Dahlia was examined by a surgical specialist a few days ago and he explained what needs to be done in order to give her a chance at a long life. She’s already lost 30 percent of lung capacity and as she grows older, the body will continue producing hardening scar tissue in an attempt to "repair" the congenital deformity. This compromises the pliability of her ribcage, which is needed to reshape it. Dahlia needs to have a chest plate stitched to the outside of her chest through her ribcage. The plate would allow her ribcage to expand and grow into the correct shape, allowing space needed for her heart and lungs. She will wear the chest plate for approximately 4-6 weeks and I will take her to the specialist weekly for a progress exam and bandage change. The surgery and aftercare have their risks but the promising result outweighs them. The surgery is scheduled for Thursday, 6/15/23.

Arriving for her specialist appointment.

I believe Dahlia deserves to have the same opportunity as her littermates for a long happy life. She may be tiny and fragile at 1.5 lbs. but she is a bundle of energy, joy, and love. She purrs at a touch, loves stomach tickles, and grandly surveys all around her as she cat loafs on my shoulder. My heart drops when I see her breathing hard or feel her fluttering heart on my fingertip - I know her life is hanging in the balance.

At the vet, my sweet purrito.

Time is of the essence for Dahlia because the required surgery is best performed before the age of 12 weeks old and she is already over 10 weeks old. Please consider making a difference in Dahlia’s life and donating to her medical fund so she can receive the immediate medical intervention she so desperately needs.

Dahlia thanks you for your compassion, kindness, and generosity in saving her life.