Help Dakota Fight Cancer with Radiation Therapy

Joan Kim is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Joan. Dakota is my heart dog, an 11-year-old Siberian Husky. She has an oral fibrosarcoma on the left side of her upper jaw. Unfortunately, there isn't much information on a cure for oral fibrosarcomas, but I have tried my best to research anything that can help Dakota have the best quality of life possible. As you can see in the photos, it has gotten quite large. It also is starting to affect the left nostril, growing to the point of almost obstructing the nostril completely. There is very little airflow in the left nostril.

(I don't know how many people read these long GoFundMe pages, but I'll try to keep it somewhat short and put more information below.)

Essentially, I need help with funding Dakota's Radiation Therapy, which would need a CT scan before we start the radiation treatments. This all would cost about $13k. Radiation Therapy has helped many pets go into remission from different types of cancers. Remission is a far-off dream in Dakota's case, unfortunately. What I am ultimately trying to achieve is to at least try to stop the growth further OR even shrink the growth at least a little. I know there isn't a 100% chance of any of this to work but at least I tried my best for my doghter. Currently, she has to deal with sneezing and sometimes breathing with her mouth instead of her nose. There are times where once she gets settled that she breathes more comfortably, usually she is sleeping. I am glad she sleeps fine at this time. I will always watch her like a hawk. She continues to eat and drink and love going on walks, which makes it hard to believe what she is going through, but I'm afraid of the cancer progressing, which it will and I am well aware. I want to be selfish and want more time with her but aren't we humans selfish beings. You all who have pets/furbabies should know the feeling of helplessness we get when it comes to our pets. I saw many GoFundMe pages asking for help and I wish I could help everybody but I am in the same boat as them.

Any donations or contributions would be a huge help.

This is the CT planning estimate:

This is the radiation therapy estimate:

If you add the high end of the estimates together, it equals about $13k. I absolutely hope it doesn't get to the higher end of the estimates, but I don't know what to expect.

I want to live without regrets. I want to give her a comfortable life until her time. I have even tried acupuncture, based on an article I found, to see if that would help the mass from growing or even try to shrink it. I was skeptical because it was only one article but I tried because it is better to try than do nothing. I don't want to stop trying for Dakota when there are ways that I can help, hence the radiation treatments.

Dakota's "so far" Life story:

I rescued her at 3 months old. I always expected her to have the longest life possible in my care. I wanted to give her a good long life. They say huskies can live up to anywhere from 12-14 years. I wanted to be that owner who was able to raise one of the healthiest and oldest huskies possible. I couldn't just have one so I got another. His name was Luca and unfortunately, I lost him early...too early. He was only 8 years old when he passed due to a rare cancer. F*** cancer! He had 8 good years but not enough. I would be lying if I wasn't crying as I am writing this. Why does it hurt so much when we lose a loved one? Why do dogs and cats live shorter lives than we do? Their lives may be fleeting but our hearts are full of their memories.

Going back to Dakota. It all started in Oct 2022 when I noticed an extremely faint bump over her left upper canine. The initial vet was surprised I even noticed it. I had it punch biopsied which it resulted as a fibroma so I left it at that. Fibromas are apparently benign tumors that can grow aggressively. It got bigger which we got it debulked in July 2023 and sent out for another biopsy. This time the biopsy came back most consistent with high-low fibrosarcoma. I went to an oncologist who suggested radiation therapy as chemotherapy was not an option for fibrosarcomas. So then I went to a radiation oncology consult in Sept 2023 and was given two options of radiation therapy, a short course of strong radiation or a long course of smaller radiation. The estimates for these were also expensive, roughly $13k vs $19k. Now July 2024, prices went up a bit of course but still roughly $13k. This is the palliative route, short course of strong radiation. The other option is no longer the option. I don't know how much longer I would have with her and I know I won't get years but I just want her around a little longer and for that I want to help her be more comfortable.

Here are photos of the progression of her mass to give you rough timelines. I have been monitoring since the beginning with pictures. That being said I got a new phone so I don't have the very first pictures.

3/2023- the mass was growing outward toward her lip since the punch biopsy in 10/2022