Purrkins Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
Purrkins was rescued from a barn when he was a couple weeks old in 2011 and he has been my shadow and best friend ever since. Some of you have been his roommates, his friends, or his caretaker when I go out of town. Purrkins is a sassy guy with a heart of gold and he always greets every visitor at the door with a heavy purr and loving face. Purrkins knows no enemies (maybe except for a couple vets...)
Leon and I found a lump on Purrkins jaw last year and were advised to keep an eye on it. Once we noticed that it was growing, we had it removed and biopsied. Our worst fears came true; the results showed an aggressive and locally invasive adenocarcinoma. Our vet gave us a grim prognosis and recommended that we go to Pittsburgh Veterinary Speciality to consult with their oncologist. She recommended electrochemotherapy and told us that the procedure, although new, yields impressive results of CURING 95% of cancer in felines. I reviewed the literature and found the same, but the closest clinic with the equipment is in New Jersey, so off we went.
After hauling Purrkins off to NJ with my (loving and incredible) Dad, the oncologist assessed Purrkins and informed us that the tumor had grown too large and he was no longer eligible. My heart broke. To our knowledge at the time, his only option was stereotactic radiation -- low risk and minimal side effects but it comes with a $10,000 price tag after already spending thousands on the surgery and failed NJ visit.
I consulted with his oncologist in Pittsburgh and she contacted one of the most experienced veterinary oncologists in the world, Dr. Joseph Impellizeri in New York. Dr. Impellizeri reviewed his records and believes he can treat Purrkins cancer with electrochemotherapy -- and he has a 95% success rate!
Needless to say, Leon and I are going to New York, but we need help. We have some of the most generous and kind friends and family in the world and have already received BEYOND generous assistance from a few of them, so we figured to give this GoFundMe thing a shot.
Purrkins is young, he is my best friend, and he deserves a chance. He is otherwise extremely healthy and 3 veterinarians believe that he will live a full and healthy life if we treat the cancer. Please consider making a small donation that Leon and I will never forget. Every little bit counts and we are hopeful that the stars will align and give our best bud a chance at kicking cancers ass.
Leon and I found a lump on Purrkins jaw last year and were advised to keep an eye on it. Once we noticed that it was growing, we had it removed and biopsied. Our worst fears came true; the results showed an aggressive and locally invasive adenocarcinoma. Our vet gave us a grim prognosis and recommended that we go to Pittsburgh Veterinary Speciality to consult with their oncologist. She recommended electrochemotherapy and told us that the procedure, although new, yields impressive results of CURING 95% of cancer in felines. I reviewed the literature and found the same, but the closest clinic with the equipment is in New Jersey, so off we went.
After hauling Purrkins off to NJ with my (loving and incredible) Dad, the oncologist assessed Purrkins and informed us that the tumor had grown too large and he was no longer eligible. My heart broke. To our knowledge at the time, his only option was stereotactic radiation -- low risk and minimal side effects but it comes with a $10,000 price tag after already spending thousands on the surgery and failed NJ visit.
I consulted with his oncologist in Pittsburgh and she contacted one of the most experienced veterinary oncologists in the world, Dr. Joseph Impellizeri in New York. Dr. Impellizeri reviewed his records and believes he can treat Purrkins cancer with electrochemotherapy -- and he has a 95% success rate!
Needless to say, Leon and I are going to New York, but we need help. We have some of the most generous and kind friends and family in the world and have already received BEYOND generous assistance from a few of them, so we figured to give this GoFundMe thing a shot.
Purrkins is young, he is my best friend, and he deserves a chance. He is otherwise extremely healthy and 3 veterinarians believe that he will live a full and healthy life if we treat the cancer. Please consider making a small donation that Leon and I will never forget. Every little bit counts and we are hopeful that the stars will align and give our best bud a chance at kicking cancers ass.
Organizer
Madeline Rigatti
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA
