Daisey Mae’s Cancer Fight

Thank you for caring enough to be here reading this right now. I’d like to kindly ask for a few more minutes of your time so I can share a little bit more about Daisey Mae, our 11 year journey, and the current situation we have landed as we hope for a fighting chance- together.

On December 9th, 2011 my Dad was killed in front of me after being struck by a car while crossing the street. The weeks that followed were a blur of shock, denial, despair, complete heartbreak and emptiness - until one day I found a tiny glimmer of hope. I stumbled on a Facebook post of golden retriever puppies needing homes by Christmas. I already had one furchild, Koby, but after seeing those faces I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I decided I would just go look (famous last words), despite everyone telling me I ‘didn’t need another dog’.

I picked one up, then another, then another. Sure they were adorable, but they weren’t …mine. I thought- maybe it wasn’t meant to be after all. Until right at that moment….I noticed a tiny sleepy one. Her chubby belly up pointed to the sky, paws going all directions, all tucked away in a corner.

As soon as I picked her up she opened her tired eyes and looked at me with complete and utter disbelief, like she couldn’t believe I had inconvenienced her like this. She quickly crossed her tiny puppy paws, one on top of another, and stared off into the distance. The. SASS. I immediately burst into laughter. The first time since December 9th that I felt anything other than broken, empty pain. I knew immediately, ‘This is her.’

Since then, Daisey Mae became my ray of sunshine in what felt most days like suffocating darkness. The comedic relief and gentle spirit I so desperately needed to survive my 20’s as I moved to a brand new city alone. She became Koby’s best friend and we became an inseparable unit of 3. She was by my side while I navigated the heaviness of grief, PTSD, severe depression and crippling anxiety. She constantly distracted me with her ability to literally give no shits about anything, ever, in the most pure and mindlessly magical way. Never phased by the years of small apartments, or the countless moves we made around Nashville until I could give them what they always deserved: Their very own yard. Freedom to run. And finally-home that was ours.

A lot of people consider their dogs to be family, but for me, they are quite literally all I have. It’s been them and I against the world, in our own little corner of the world, every single day, night, weekend, and holiday for over a decade. It’s always been us, and only us.

My dogs have single-handily saved me in every sense of the word. And now it’s time for me to save her.

I want to give Daisey Mae the best possible chance I can. While making the least selfish decisions - because I know that no time will ever be enough. But she deserves as much time as I can fight for her to have. As much time as I can give her to still be the giant happy goof ball that she is.

So now, as we navigate Daisey’s newly diagnosed Thyroid Carcinoma and begin to learn her prognosis, options and treatments: This fund is for her.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any support you can give. Even the tiniest bit can and will help. I hope to have positive updates sooner than later.