lauren frija

ONYX MADE IT THROUGH SURGERY! WE HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS! ❤️ After weeks of worrying, countless vet visits, and watching this tiny boy suffer, I’m so happy to share that Onyx’s surgery was a success! ❤️ Today, Dr. Hanes at Veterinary Eye Center successfully removed both of Onyx’s severely damaged, painful eyes. He was also neutered during the same procedure. Both eyes are being sent out for biopsy (histopathology) to examine the tissue more closely. We’re now waiting for those results and hoping for good news. Our sweet boy is finally on the road to recovery and, hopefully, a life free from the constant eye pain he’s endured for so long. Seeing him with his little stitches and recovery cone is bittersweet, but knowing those painful eyes are finally gone makes everything worth it. Unfortunately, the financial burden is still very real. Onyx’s final surgery bill came to $5,269.50. That’s on top of the $1,600+ already spent out of pocket on emergency care, specialists, testing, and medications just to get him healthy enough for surgery. The surgery has been paid for, but we still desperately need help recouping these expenses. We moved forward because Onyx couldn’t continue suffering while we waited to raise enough money. And please remember, Ruby, our other blind rescue kitten, still needs both of her eyes surgically removed as well. PLEASE DON’T STOP DONATING OR SHARING! Every dollar helps ease the financial burden and allows us to continue providing these babies with the care they deserve. To everyone who has donated, shared, prayed, or followed Onyx’s journey: THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! ❤️ You helped us get this little fighter to his surgery day. Now it’s time for him to heal.

Onyx’s surgery is less than a week away and donations have completely stalled. I hate having to keep asking, but I’m running out of time. Onyx is scheduled for surgery on October 13th with Dr. Hanes at Veterinary Eye Center, and I still do not have enough raised to cover it. There haven’t been any new donations in the last few days, and the surgery is now just days away. I’ve already paid over $1,600 out of pocket for his emergency care, specialist visits, testing, medications, and treatment. At this point, I’m not even trying to recover those costs — I’m just trying to get enough together to cover his surgery. This video is a reminder that underneath all of this, he is still just a baby. He plays, he explores, he wants affection, and he deserves the chance to live without painful eyes. If you can donate even $5 or $10, it adds up. If you cannot donate, please share his fundraiser. A share may reach the one person who can help get us over the finish line. Less than one week. We really need help now. Thank you to everyone who has already donated, shared, and supported Onyx. I truly appreciate every single person helping me fight for him.

ONYX HAS A SURGERY DATE — PLEASE HELP US GET HIM THERE Onyx’s surgery is officially scheduled for October 13th, God willing, with his specialist Dr. Hanes at Veterinary Eye Center. I booked it even though I still don’t have enough money to cover his surgery. I couldn’t keep waiting when I know his eyes are painful and need to be removed. Last night I caught Onyx PLAYING. Watching this little boy play with his toys after everything he’s been through was honestly the sweetest thing. Please watch the video. This is the little life we’re fighting for. I really need help getting him to October 13th. The donations we’ve raised don’t even cover the $1,600+ I’ve already paid out of pocket for his emergency hospital stay, specialists, bloodwork, medications and other care just to get him to this point. At this stage, I’m simply asking for enough help to cover ONE surgery — Onyx’s. His surgery is estimated at $4,995–$5,530, and we aren’t even talking about everything that comes afterward: follow-up care, medications, special food or Ruby’s surgery, which she still needs too. Please help me get Onyx’s surgery covered. If you can donate anything at all, it adds up. And if you can’t donate, please share, repost and send his fundraiser to someone who might be able to help. He’s finally eating. He’s getting stronger. He’s PLAYING. Now I just want to get those painful eyes out and let him start the rest of his life. October 13th. We have 11 days. Please help us get him there.

PLEASE HELP ONYX — WE NEED TO GET HIM TO SURGERY I hate having to keep asking, but we aren’t even halfway to covering ONE surgery yet. Onyx has finally been eating on his own and getting stronger, which means I could potentially get him in for his double eye-removal surgery as soon as next week. The problem is that I simply cannot schedule it without the money for the required deposit. Onyx is in pain. Both of his eyes are permanently blind and severely damaged, and his ophthalmologist confirmed that they need to be removed. The sooner we can get him through surgery, the sooner he can finally be free of that pain. We have already come so far with this little boy. Please don’t let money be the reason he has to keep waiting. If you can donate—even $5, $10 or $20—it adds up. And PLEASE continue sharing. We need as many eyes on his fundraiser as possible. Ruby still needs her double eye surgery as well, but Onyx is the urgent priority because he is currently in pain. Please help me get Onyx into surgery: https://gofund.me/a26ee6f80 Donate. Share. Repost. Anything helps. I just want this baby out of pain.

ONYX UPDATE I finally have some good news to share. Onyx is doing better today! He ate his food on his own, he's grooming himself, and he's showing much more interest in his surroundings. I even gave him some toys so he can start exploring and playing. After seeing him so weak, lethargic and barely eating just a couple of days ago, seeing him doing normal kitten things again means everything. I also want to clarify something for everyone who has donated or shared our fundraiser: this fundraiser is helping BOTH Onyx and Ruby. Both of these babies need double eye removal surgery. Right now, Onyx's case is the more urgent of the two. His ophthalmologist confirmed that both of his eyes are permanently blind and painful, and both need to be removed. His eye disease is extremely severe, so my immediate focus is getting him medically stable enough to safely undergo surgery. His surgery alone is estimated at $4,995–$5,530, with a $2,765 deposit required before treatment. Financial___Estimate__58651 Ruby still needs her double eye surgery as well, but thankfully she is comfortable in the meantime. She's not showing signs of pain and is busy playing, running around and enjoying life like a normal kitten. ❤️ Because Ruby is currently comfortable while Onyx's eyes are painful, Onyx's surgery has to come first. Once we get Onyx through this urgent stage, Ruby is next. The donations to this fundraiser are helping me get both of these blind babies the veterinary care and surgeries they need. For today, though, I'm celebrating some progress with Onyx: he ate, he's grooming, he's more active, and he's getting a chance to just be a kitten. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared, checked on them and helped me get them this far. We still have a long and expensive road ahead with two double enucleation surgeries, but every donation and every share gets Onyx and Ruby one step closer. Please keep sharing their story. Even if you can't donate, a share can make a huge difference.

UPDATE ON ONYX — We finally have answers, but he has a long road ahead The last few days have been a whirlwind of vet visits, an emergency hospital visit, bloodwork, medications and an ophthalmology consultation for Onyx. Today we finally received a definitive answer about his eyes. The ophthalmologist confirmed that both of Onyx's eyes have suffered corneal perforations. He is permanently blind in both eyes, they are painful, and both eyes need to be surgically removed. The specialist believes the devastating damage to his eyes is consistent with severe early-life feline herpesvirus infection. Unfortunately, surgery cannot be our only focus right now. Onyx's bloodwork at VERG showed a very significant inflammatory response as well as anemia. Because he is only about 2 months old, has been weak and struggling with his appetite, his doctors want to make sure he is systemically healthy enough to safely undergo anesthesia and surgery. We returned to Kind Vet today, where Dr. Menashe raised FIP as a possibility based on Onyx's overall condition and bloodwork. This is NOT a confirmed diagnosis. Additional FIP testing is expensive and isn't always definitive, so we are discussing a treatment trial while continuing to monitor him closely and work toward getting him healthy enough for surgery. Today Onyx received additional supportive treatment, including a long-acting antibiotic, B12, fluids and an appetite stimulant. And tonight he gave me a little bit of hope. He ate a little food on his own. He groomed himself. And he even started making biscuits. They may sound like tiny things, but after watching him refuse food and become so lethargic, seeing those normal kitten behaviors meant everything. Financially, this has escalated very quickly. So far, Onyx's documented veterinary expenses are: • Kind Vet initial visit — $361.94 • VERG Emergency Hospital — $756.79 • Veterinary Eye Center consultation — $275.00 • Kind Vet recheck/treatment — $207.31 Already spent: $1,601.04 And we haven't reached surgery yet. The Veterinary Eye Center has now provided an estimate of $4,995–$5,530 to remove both eyes, with a $2,765 deposit required before treatment. That means his veterinary care could reach $6,596–$7,131, even before possible FIP treatment and additional testing or follow-up care. I have included his veterinary documentation and invoices so everyone who has donated can see exactly where your help is going. I'm taking this one day at a time and following what Onyx and his doctors tell us. Right now, this tiny boy is still eating a little, grooming, making biscuits and showing us that he's still here fighting. Every donation goes directly toward his veterinary care and getting him healthy enough to have the painful eyes removed. If you can't donate, sharing Onyx's fundraiser is just as appreciated. Every share gives him another chance to reach someone who may be able to help. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared his story, checked on him and kept him in your thoughts. I truly can't do this alone. GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a26ee6f80

Onyx Update Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shared, and kept Onyx in your prayers. Unfortunately, last night Onyx became increasingly lethargic, was barely eating and wouldn’t drink, so I brought him to VERG Emergency Hospital. The doctors believe the severe condition of his eyes and the pain he is experiencing may be contributing to him not wanting to eat or drink. VERG has recommended that Onyx be seen by a veterinary ophthalmologist as soon as possible, so that is our next step. We will know much more about his treatment and surgery plan after his specialist evaluation. We already had his initial veterinary visit the day before, followed by last night’s emergency visit, and we still have the ophthalmologist and likely surgery ahead of us. Thank you for helping me give this little guy every chance possible. Any donation or share truly helps, and I’ll update everyone again after his specialist appointment.