Johanna Duska

Hi, my name is Johanna. I am urgently asking for help for my 13.5-year-old Maltese, Ellie — my service dog, my emotional support, my soulmate, and my constant companion through the hardest years of my life. I love her more than I can express in words. She has been with me through everything: severe disability (CRPS stage 3 full body — known as one of the most painful conditions known to man), trigeminal neuralgia, erythromelalgia, piriformis and disc issues, arthritis, and being bedridden in 24/7 extreme pain. She has been with me through hospital and doctor visits, loss, isolation, divorce, remarriage, unstable housing, travel to appointments, and rebuilding life from nothing. When I could not function, she stayed beside me. She brings me toys, spins to get treats, sings, opens doors, dances, snuggles into my arms, and never wants to leave my side. She stopped bringing her toys and spinning the past 2 weeks. She has been my reason to keep going. She is such a happy, smart, and sweet dog. She even makes little sounds like “uh huh” when we talk to her, and I truly feel her love in everything she does. She has my heart. There will never be another like her. She is my soulmate dog. I truly can't imagine life without my little best friend. Ellie’s current condition Right now, Ellie is fighting severe heart disease with an enlarged heart and significant valve leakage and now URGENT ultrasound needed as she is refusing food for 11 days now. She has started showing changes — not wanting to leave my room, wanting to be in my arms constantly, no longer bringing her toys like she used to, worsening coughing, and is not being herself. Two days ago, she had an echocardiogram that confirmed how serious her condition is after she fainted twice. Her heart is failing, and she is now in a fragile, time-sensitive stage — mild congestive heart failure slight fluid in lungs. She gas worsened rapidly this past month and if she doesnt eat, she won't make it. For the past week and a half she has refused eating, drinking off and on, and so tough to give her meds. She has fainted four times. I was crawling and got a lot worse getting her to the ER at 2 a.m. so they could see her because if I go anywhere I get worse for weeks and was out at the ER and then 2 dayd later had to go again. The first ER gave her anti-nausea medicine, an appetite stimulant, and time in an oxygen chamber. Then two days later I had to rush her again as she got even worse, for an x-ray of her heart, a full blood panel, and liquid medicine so she takes it. She is on pimobendan and furosemide. They put her on oxygen and gave her a furosemide injection to stabilize her. They said it is not her kidneys. She is in heart failure, but that is not what is causing her not to eat. They said she can still live for a while with heart failure if it is treated now. The more she does not eat, the worse she gets, and my heart is breaking watching this as I am praying and believing for a miracle and worsening myself being here alone with her. We used all we had, and we used Affirm. Someone who loves us helped us with $300 on their CareCredit, because we cannot get CareCredit or Scratchpay ourselves due to an accident in the past and still rebuilding. Jamin was out of work for a week because of a recent accident a week ago. That was the time God made it clear and confirmed —and had already been making it clear for a while—that he needed to change jobs, and that God would open a door for a trucking job that goes to Cali monthly and eventually locally. He did with an OTR trucking job...3 weeks on, 3 days off. But we do not get paid until next Friday, the first check from the new job, and we are behind on rent for the first time in a while. Rent was due the 5th. Ellie has had emergency after emergency. I am not sleeping. I am doing it all alone physically. I cannot recover from surgery. I have been running back and forth to get Ellie help, and then I am much worse. I have been crawling around the house fighting for her, and then it takes me weeks to recover. Jamin will be coming up with his new job to see us in the next few days, then back out, then back again in three weeks. I am asking for prayers and a miracle. I cannot lose Ellie. Not when we are this close to getting her help. She and I are so connected. She is a service dog. She has been such a blessing. She deserves the best and not to suffer and since it's something possibly treatable, I just can't know this and not fight for her. She deserves to be comfortable and happy. She has not eaten in 11 days—only licks of baby food, not dog food.The vet says she needs an abdominal ultrasound to find the stomach or GI problem so they can treat it. After that they can add the right care to her heart medicine too. Weekend ERs do not have ultrasound. Tomorrow, Friday, is the only day I can get her in. If we miss it, we wait until Tuesday, and I am afraid she may not make it that long without eating and that ER is over an hr away and drove there before for her as the one nearby doesn't have much imaging as it's small and new. The ER does not have ultrasound on the weekend unless it is a surgery emergency and they come in on that basis. Otherwise it is a waiting game. She has already waited 11 days. This is too critical. She has done so much for me. I need to help her. I have slept about four hours total in a month and a half. I cannot recover. I cannot go to my own doctor appointments and take her or leave and watch her on camera as she is not stable. She stayed with me through stage 3 CRPS, through being bedridden, through wheelchair bound, through ministry, through good times and through the hardest years of my life, and she is still here. She has made me smile and brought so much joy to my life and to Jamin’s. “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10). I am asking the Lord to make a way. We are down to $50 until two Fridays from now. I used everything I had on her echo, labs, vet visits, medicine, Ubers, and oxygen. If the Lord puts it on your heart to pray, please pray. Pray she eats. Pray the scan happens in time. Pray I can get her there. Pray we do not lose her when help is this close. Pray that we can get her the oxygen chamber. We have used everything — this is urgent We have already used every single dollar we had for her echocardiogram, X-rays, testing, and her monthly veterinary care. We are now completely out of savings with no emergency funds left. What we have coming in over the next checks has to go toward rent or we will be homeless. This is urgent. I am terrified of what will happen if her condition worsens suddenly. I have never given up. I use my testimony to help others who are struggling in many ways, giving hope through what I have survived and helping with outreach, etc., and creating a ministry from my bed called Overcome Church, also a non profit. Through everything, Ellie has always come before me. She has brought me so much joy. Who Ellie is beyond illness Ellie is full of love and personality. She even knew my husband was “the one” before I ever said it out loud. The day she met him in person, I have it on video — she ran to him crying and kissing him like crazy, wagging her tail in a way I had never seen before with anyone else but me. She was so happy I was happy. I've never seen her make it more known that "I choose him for us mommy." That is who she is — she feels love deeply and reflects it. I just want her to be happy. To have joy. To feel safe. To enjoy every bit of life she has left. And I want her to know I am okay. I just want her to continue being happy. She has always had joy when I do. More than anything, I want her to enjoy every bit of life she has left surrounded by love, comfort, and calm. I don’t want her last memories of me to be me in pain, worsening, or suffering. I want her to remember me safe, calm, and whole in her heart until we meet again. I want her to feel life and joy, and to know that after everything she carried me through… I made it through too and she was one of the biggest reasons for that. She has spent her whole life helping me fight. I am helping her fight now. I pray she outlives this and God makes a way so I'm not left with a hole in my heart wondering if I could have done more and funds for an ultrasound, meds and a chamber standing in the way of life and death. She deserves to be happy. She deserves full joy. She deserves everything she has given me. She is an overcomer herself and has quite the testimony story. I will be posting more of her videos on her youtube so everyone can smile like I have for almost 14 years. Right now… I am in tears as I write this, and my health is worsening under the stress of everything but trusting the Lord. He is good always. My husband is working 7 days a week just to keep us afloat. We have no credit options left and no way to cover emergency veterinary care on our own. We applied to scratch pay and care credit etc and got denied again. What we are raising funds for We are asking for help to cover: Emergency ultrasound which is at sage in concord through ER department and 1500 plus fee to go in, oxygen for home, cardiology follow-up next month echo. Heart medications and adjustments after this ultrasound. I wish we could do TEER(she qualifies and would be the biggest blessing for her and I) but honestly, Its so expensive that unless a miracle, I just need these things done to help her live her best life. She is fighting for me and I'm fighting for her. Emergency stabilization care if her condition worsens Ongoing monitoring and care so she can stay comfortable Emergency oxygen support and other emergency support when needed ($500–$1,500) Why this matters This dog has helped me while I have helped others for 15 out of 17.5 years of being bedridden. Out of that pain, I built a ministry and a life of helping others through suffering and faith. I'm having faith trusting God will make a way. This is urgent. We have used all we had, and Ellie needs help now. If anyone feels led to pay the vet directly, its at sage in Concord for Ellie Duska. Thank you for reading, and for caring about Ellie — the little soul who has carried me through everything. Johanna, Jamin & Ellie (the sweetest girl) Thank youThank you for praying. Thank you for standing with us. God bless you. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” — Psalm 34:18