From commentor Dalai Rasta:
I hate to do this, being that I only rarely post here, though this blog is one of my daily reads.
My cat just had a seizure today. This cat.
I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford care for anything serious.
I’m disabled. I receive SSI. I have seizures myself, as well as chronic depression. I can’t drive, because even with medication, I have 3-4 seizures a month. I’m obviously unemployed.
I live with my parents, both of whom are on Social Security. My father receives chemotherapy one week a month for myelodysplastic syndrome. He occasionally requires injections for low blood cell counts. My mother uses a wheelchair when she’s out of the house, and otherwise spends most of the day in bed, She has osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.
Our house is a wreck. None of us can keep up. We have leaks in our ceiling and a tarp on the roof, which has been there since after Hurricane Isaac.
We have four cats, all of which I adopted after I started looking after the feral cats on our street. I was here all the time; I needed some way to feel productive, so I started getting them spayed and neutered, and feeding those who stayed in our yard. I took in those who had injuries; every single cat in my house had some medical issue when I took it in. I’ve been doing this since Hurricane Katrina in 2005…
I probably shouldn’t be posting this. I’ve managed not to do it hundreds of times before. But Bella is my baby. She even tries to look out for me. She pesters me to go to bed at the right time, and wakes me up to take my medication in the morning, and again to start my daily routine. She’s the calmest, sweetest cat imaginable, and I can’t bear the thought that I can’t take care of her.
I just need advice right now, and a sympathetic ear at a difficult moment. I know this to be a place where that’s often on offer.
Bella’s GoFundMe page is here. Even if you can’t donate, please share on Facebook and other social media — it actually does help!
If you want to get in touch with D.R. directly, send me an email at annelaurie dot verizon dot net, and I’ll forward it to him.
Svensker
God bless! Big hugs for you and Bella and the other critters. You’re doing a good thing.
satby
Done and shared. His goal is modest, we can help him get there!
Beezus
Sweet Bella. Done
Auntie Anne
Done and shared. What a sweetie!
J R in WV
Done. I don’t use Facebook or those other social web sites. But I knew the B-J community would chip in for Bella!
Thanks, all.
me.
satby
And though his goal is modest, I think Dalai Rasta might be underestimating his potential vet costs, so let’s keep it going. My last unfortunate encounter with the vet for Hershey was almost $800.00. And didn’t include any diagnostic tests. So.. Stretch goal!
leinie
Done. I hope sweet Bella will be ok.
Patricia Kayden
Sending some coins Bella’s way. Thank God for kind people who take in disabled animals.
newdealfarmgrrrlll
Oh gosh, what timing. The soft-hearted pack of snarling jackals here chipped in for my medical bills when I was at the about-to-go-under stage before Christmas, and I got them all paid off! So, this year’s tax refund just arrived, and doesn’t have to evaporate into old medical bills. I can pay it forward, which is a wonderful feeling!
Heading over to chip in for Bella. What a sweetie. Hope enough is raised for some nice treats for her and the other Kittehs, as well as her vet bill.
eclare
Done, I hope Bella gets the care she needs.
jacy
Done and shared. It’ll be okay.
satby
@newdealfarmgrrrlll: so glad to hear things are better for you!
?eric
i live a fairly blessed life. done and done.
Mary G
I put in some, wish I was rich and could do more. You are the whole world to Bella and her buddies, use the extra, if there is any, for yourself!
You are more valuable to the world than Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, and their whole coterie combined. Caregiving is so critical to cats and other creatures and it just infuriates me that it is so badly compensated by society.
Mnemosyne
We knew you would come through for a kitty in need, Anne Laurie! ?
newdealfarmgrrrlll
@satby: yes, much better! It was enough for Queenie to visit the vet too, and her allergic inflammation is all healed up.
I’ve been meaning to email the front pagers with an update and, most important, pet pics! but life has been galloping along in overwhelm, so I probably won’t get to it until June or July. Nothing bad in the overwhelm, just too much of it — helping daughter paint before my grandbaby’s appearance, helping brother paint before my niece’s graduation, final stages of selling mom’s place now that she’s in memory care etc etc — life has to get boring at some point, right? I pine for boring weeding-the-garden-time.
MazeDancer
That is not a big enough goal. Ongoing vet care, plus ongoing spaying, neutering, feeding. And drugs. It’s going to be more expensive. (And maybe a house cleaner every now and then for such a kind soul.)
Please raise the amount.
raven
@newdealfarmgrrrlll: I didn’t realize you were a FDL’r.
satby
@MazeDancer: I agree, and I bet Dalai Rasta is feeling so overwhelmed right now with the outpouring of support. I was when I was in his position. It really means so much!
newdealfarmgrrrlll
@raven: only a LLN-er and occasionally Tbogg. I bailed on the dayside for good around 2008?
Suzanne
Done. Hang in there.
Kristine
I agree that $500 was on the low side.
Just checked the total.
Snarling jackals, the lot of us.
Louis Diamond
Dalai, a few years ago our cat Lucy Fur. Began to have seizures. Scary with shaking, peeing, passing out. I saw three and there may have done others. We waited, did nothing even after seeing the second and third one (over several months) and then they just stopped.
Maybe she is lucky but thats what happened for her and for us.
Best regards,
Louis Diamond
ThresherK
This will be the first GofundMe I’ve anted up to.
I’m a cat person who has poor luck with cats living long lives. It was a biiiig day when my wife’s cat hit 10. Previously my track record was: 5, 6, 9, and 9, in order. I am not strong enough to take in injured or ailing felines, so a bit of $ is going to Dalai.
raven
@newdealfarmgrrrlll: I just hit yer FB and saw some of the old crew.
Another Scott
Thanks for posting this, AL. I kicked in a little.
Our dog Sophie had epilepsy. She, fortunately, usually only had one seizure a year or so, but it was always scary when it happened. She also had RA and bad hips and other joint issues. Our vet put her on Gabapentin for pain and it had the beneficial other property of apparently keeping her seizures under control too. Maybe it will help with Bella as well? It might be worth checking out.
Best of luck, DR, and to Bella!
Cheers,
Scott.
newdealfarmgrrrlll
@raven: yep, I met some of the LLN with TRex crew back in the day, and we’ve become real-life as well as blog/fb friends. And, IIRC, my first 80-100 fb friends were all acquired immediately back in 2007 when La Hamsher suggested we join fb. Too much personal talk cluttering up the serious tone of the blog, yanno!
raven
@newdealfarmgrrrlll: It’s funny, T lives a few blocks away and I don’t think I’ve seen him twice in 6 years. He did help out on an Athens cat bleg a while back.
lurker dean
good luck to you and bella, DR. i just read the link with the story about bella having been shot, yikes. so glad you found each other and good on you for taking her in.
debit
Heh. Tried it the first time, didn’t think it worked, so doubled it and did it again.
amygdala
Well, I’m a neurologist, so how can I not support a cat (and her human) with epilepsy?
And thank you, everyone, for blowing right past that goal for DR and his beloved Bella. Much needed ray of light in these rather gloomy times.
Tazj
I hope Bella gets better. Veterinary bills can be so expensive.
joel hanes
@newdealfarmgrrrlll:
I got them all paid off!
Best news I’ve heard all day.
debit
@amygdala: We’re a nice horde of snarling jackals.
hedgehog mobile
Done!
middlelee
@debit:
I almost did the same thing then realized I could go to my email and see if I had a TY from GoFundMe and I did.
;-)
Another Scott
@middlelee: Yeah, I was concerned about the long delay, also too. It’s almost like they have the long delay there on purpose. ;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
(Who notices that ActBlue Thermometers don’t update very quickly either…)
satby
@middlelee: me too. I took it as a hopeful sign that a lot of people were jumping in at once ?
Dalai Rasta
I want to thank everyone who has helped so far; I’m immensely grateful for your generosity. I’ll send more information along to Anne Laurie in the morning, along with more pictures. I’m going to get Bella looked after ASAP. My love (and Bella’s) to every single one of you.
Riley's Enabler
Sweet Bella. Riley sends love and light and hope for a positive prognosis!
Ella in New Mexico
Quick scroll through BJ’s front page stories and BOOM! Adorable, sweet kitty face of Bella was the first thing that caught my eye. “She of the Five PIA Gatos” could not pass up the opportunity to help so there’s my small contribution.
So glad to see there’s a little extra in the pot! Maybe if we all keep this up Dalai Rasta could even get the roof leaks fixed! In any case, I strongly encourage Dalai Rasta and his family take themselves out for a nice dinner and a movie. They need to give themselves a little bit of fun and R and R about now.
Miss Bianca
Donated and FB’d. Good luck, Dalai Rasta and little Bella!
Dalai Rasta
I just want to thank everyone who’s donated since my last post. I sent Anne Laurie an email with some information about my other cats, so you may all get acquainted with Dobby, Daphne, Noel, and Oliver!
satby
@Dalai Rasta: Great! Hoping for the best for Bella. Have you tried contacting your local Habitat for Humanity or your Dept of Health or Human Services for help with the house? They have programs to help seniors like your parents get homes fixed and maintained. I know how paralyzing depression can b, but there may be something that can help if they just know you’re out there and in need. Reach out to them.
BubbaDave
Look at that face! Of course I donated!