Help Maggie
Donation protected
Sadly this week, Maggie was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer.
I bought Maggie when I was just 20, and she’s been by my side for the last 12 years. Maggie is the most adorable, sweet-natured, intelligent and cheeky little Jack Russell Terrier you’ll meet. For those of you who haven’t met Maggie, she’s the best companion and the most devoted friend to me and anyone who knows her. You never feel lonely with Mags – her mood is infectious; always joyful, always wagging, always by your side. She’s a little shadow that happily trots beside you in the garden or around the house. At her most content she’s curled up with us on the sofa, nestled between the legs and arms of her ‘pack’.
Each morning without fail she waits patiently until the moment she can wake me up with a ‘good morning’ lick on the face. She’s always so excited to start a new day together. At bedtime, if friends have stayed over, Mags will always find a way to slip into everyone’s beds, diligently making sure everyone gets a ‘fair’ amount of time sleeping with her – one of many of Maggie’s incredibly endearing traits.
We had such a happy and healthy summer, going for daily walks and enjoying the sunshine. She was full of energy and fit as a fiddle.
Devastatingly in September she developed a large swelling on her vulva which initially the vets, unsure of what it was, tried to treat with several courses of antibiotics. After weeks of antibiotics, nothing had worked and by which point the swelling mass had worsened. She kept positive as always, wagging her tail to tell me she was alright and not to worry.
With the local vets unsure of how to proceed, we asked to be referred to a specialist for more rigorous testing and treatment. As we waited for a referral appointment - delayed because of Covid, her swelling grew considerably.
Once we finally got her to an expert, Maggie was diagnosed with Multicentric Lymphoma. They have suggested chemotherapy, which will put her into remission. They believe that the chemo will shrink the swelling rapidly and will give her a comfortable year of life. This is amazing news, because it gives me the chance to give Mags the best last year she deserves. But, unfortunately, chemotherapy is expensive and I don’t have the funds to cover this treatment.
While Maggie is insured, during the summer I had switched Maggie’s insurance to a cheaper provider. With financial pressures and the possibility of job insecurity due to Covid, I was trying to reduce my outgoings. This was a terrible mistake: Maggie became unwell a few weeks later and her new insurers are using old notes in her medical history of a previous urinary tract infection to reject her claim. Although countless vets have contacted the insurers to contest that there is no connection between these two illnesses, the insurers refuse to pay out. Without the insurance, I can't afford the ongoing treatment she needs.
To pay for Maggie’s first consultation and tests, I took out a loan of £5,000. These first tests alone cost £3,500. For her ongoing treatment, the vets have suggested it will be a further £4,000, which I just don’t have.
Spent to date:
Vets bills & medication : £1,124 + Specialist referral consultation and testing £3,500 = total : £4,624
(Loan taken to cover bills: £5,000)
Chemotherapy treatment cost: estimated £4,000
Total: £8,624
Without many options, I’ve decided to set up this Go Fund Me page to try and gather any donations I can towards her treatment. I understand that, now possibly more than ever, many of us are feeling financial strain, which is why any sized donation, no matter how small - would mean the world to me, and my Mags.
Maggie has been everywhere with me over the past 12 years, a constant, never wavering fixture in my life. We’ve been through so much together. I am so grateful for her. I want to do everything in my power to make sure Maggie is without pain, so we can use the time she has to do the things she loves. While I know there may be more pressing problems around us, Maggie is my whole world and I want her to know that.
Thank you so much,
Cleo x
I bought Maggie when I was just 20, and she’s been by my side for the last 12 years. Maggie is the most adorable, sweet-natured, intelligent and cheeky little Jack Russell Terrier you’ll meet. For those of you who haven’t met Maggie, she’s the best companion and the most devoted friend to me and anyone who knows her. You never feel lonely with Mags – her mood is infectious; always joyful, always wagging, always by your side. She’s a little shadow that happily trots beside you in the garden or around the house. At her most content she’s curled up with us on the sofa, nestled between the legs and arms of her ‘pack’.
Each morning without fail she waits patiently until the moment she can wake me up with a ‘good morning’ lick on the face. She’s always so excited to start a new day together. At bedtime, if friends have stayed over, Mags will always find a way to slip into everyone’s beds, diligently making sure everyone gets a ‘fair’ amount of time sleeping with her – one of many of Maggie’s incredibly endearing traits.
We had such a happy and healthy summer, going for daily walks and enjoying the sunshine. She was full of energy and fit as a fiddle.
Devastatingly in September she developed a large swelling on her vulva which initially the vets, unsure of what it was, tried to treat with several courses of antibiotics. After weeks of antibiotics, nothing had worked and by which point the swelling mass had worsened. She kept positive as always, wagging her tail to tell me she was alright and not to worry.
With the local vets unsure of how to proceed, we asked to be referred to a specialist for more rigorous testing and treatment. As we waited for a referral appointment - delayed because of Covid, her swelling grew considerably.
Once we finally got her to an expert, Maggie was diagnosed with Multicentric Lymphoma. They have suggested chemotherapy, which will put her into remission. They believe that the chemo will shrink the swelling rapidly and will give her a comfortable year of life. This is amazing news, because it gives me the chance to give Mags the best last year she deserves. But, unfortunately, chemotherapy is expensive and I don’t have the funds to cover this treatment.
While Maggie is insured, during the summer I had switched Maggie’s insurance to a cheaper provider. With financial pressures and the possibility of job insecurity due to Covid, I was trying to reduce my outgoings. This was a terrible mistake: Maggie became unwell a few weeks later and her new insurers are using old notes in her medical history of a previous urinary tract infection to reject her claim. Although countless vets have contacted the insurers to contest that there is no connection between these two illnesses, the insurers refuse to pay out. Without the insurance, I can't afford the ongoing treatment she needs.
To pay for Maggie’s first consultation and tests, I took out a loan of £5,000. These first tests alone cost £3,500. For her ongoing treatment, the vets have suggested it will be a further £4,000, which I just don’t have.
Spent to date:
Vets bills & medication : £1,124 + Specialist referral consultation and testing £3,500 = total : £4,624
(Loan taken to cover bills: £5,000)
Chemotherapy treatment cost: estimated £4,000
Total: £8,624
Without many options, I’ve decided to set up this Go Fund Me page to try and gather any donations I can towards her treatment. I understand that, now possibly more than ever, many of us are feeling financial strain, which is why any sized donation, no matter how small - would mean the world to me, and my Mags.
Maggie has been everywhere with me over the past 12 years, a constant, never wavering fixture in my life. We’ve been through so much together. I am so grateful for her. I want to do everything in my power to make sure Maggie is without pain, so we can use the time she has to do the things she loves. While I know there may be more pressing problems around us, Maggie is my whole world and I want her to know that.
Thank you so much,
Cleo x
Organizer
Cleo Melvin
Organizer
England