Help cat-loving artist pay for spinal surgery

My name is Adam; I am in my early 30's and have had a rough few years; this is my story.

In August 2017, I lost two cars in hurricane Harvey from flooding over 8-10 feet underwater. I could only afford liability insurance, so it did not cover it. We received no financial aid from FEMA, and both cars were a total loss.

One of my cats, Skorri, became very stressed during hurricane Harvey and got bladder stones as a result. These are similar to kidney stones and can block the ability to urinate in some cases if they do not dissolve. We were able to find an emergency vet that was still open and get my cat seen. Due to complications with the catheters and mucus buildup from infection in his urethra, there was only one option, Perineal Urethrostomy, which set us back around $5-6000.

Immediately following spring break of 2020, after COVID-19 became widespread, I had to shut down the business I had operated for nearly ten years in Galveston doing henna tattoos. Due to ongoing safety concerns from my job requiring physical contact with customers and the danger of catching and potentially spreading COVID-19, we have not yet re-opened for business.

In August 2020, Hurricane Laura threatened to take away my livelihood and vehicles once again. I packed up my family of pets, four cats and a dog, and evacuated from the danger zone. My cat-son, Skorri, the same one who had the surgery during the last hurricane, was stressed again and made a mess in his kennel as I was driving four hours to evacuate leading up to the storm.

Smelling the issue, I pulled over to try to clean out his kennel and not make him lay in his excrement for the remaining few hours. In his panic, he darted out of the kennel as I opened the door and ran into the highway. I tried to grab for him but had to secure another cat in the same large kennel to prevent the other cat from escaping.

Panic and adrenaline rushed through my body as I watched helplessly as two vehicles drove in opposite directions in the road as my cat ran across the highway, somehow unscathed. I secured the car and opened the windows so the other animals could breathe, not overheat in the vehicle, and have fresh air. I ran across the highway in the direction I saw my cat run. After multiple failed attempts to catch the cat after getting close to him, he began heading back towards the highway. I knew if I didn't get him in the subsequent attempts, he would likely die running across the road again. I put everything I had into a leap as I got close for the last time and managed to grab onto him; he was safe. I did feel that I had landed poorly, and tried to shake off the pain, limped back to the car, knowing my cat was safe.

I finished the drive to the hotel for a few nights. After collecting the fur babies, we drove back home after the hurricane. A few weeks later, I realized that I had a pinch in my lower back and that my leg was still hurting. I went to multiple doctors, and after many assessments, they told me I had herniated two discs in my lower back and would require a Lumbar Discectomy. The surgery was in October of 2020, and even with insurance, we ended up paying over $10,000 total out of pocket.

Recovery would be a few months, and for a while, things seemed to be fine, but then my back and leg pain began to hurt again; I figured it was still recovering from the surgery. After waiting a few months and the pain not going away, I went back to my surgeon and asked him about it. He had me get an MRI, and it turns out I have a degenerative disc in the lower spine, in a different disc from before.

The surgeon suggests that the best option is another surgery, Spinal Fusion. It is estimated to be $20,000-30,000 out of pocket for the surgery with insurance. Skorri is still healthy and happy, which I am grateful for, and I would like to continue spending time with him and my other fur babies. I do not expect any assistance, but if anyone decides it is worth helping, I would be eternally grateful for your compassion and support.

The surgery will be within the next week; I am waiting to hear back from the surgeon in a few days with updates.