Help Levi beat Pyothorax!
Donation protected
My name is Vanessa Landaverde. If there's one thing anyone knows about me, it is that I love cats. I love helping them and learning and I especially love taking care of my own two cats. They've brought light to a very dark time in my life.
Levi was found under the house by my brother-in-law, in May 2020. He was abandoned by the mom cat, for reasons unknown. It was later discovered that the space under the house were he was found, there were also 3 other cat skeletons. We can't help but wonder if we saved him from a worse fate, he had previously been seen with three siblings. Are they connected? I don't know, but it's still heartbreaking to think about.
Recently, Levi got neutered. He has always been a relaxed cat, so when he was spending most of recovery laying down, it wasn't suspect. He still very much greeted us and ate his food. It wasn't until March 31, did we notice that he was exhibiting signs of distress. His breathing was labored, he was struggling. We took him to the hospital, where he was immediately admitted and placed on oxygen. They whisked him away and my sister, Karina and I watched as Levi was poked, shaved, prodded with an ultrasound wand.
The rest of that night, we weren't sure if he would make it. They discovered a lot of fluid within his chest, so much so they needed to tap it in order to help stabilize him enough to transfer to a separate hospital, where he was admitted to their critical care unit.
To even be admitted to the critical care unit, it was an estimated $8,000 to $10,000. They would not even start treatment until I paid 75% of the bill. I understand the reasoning behind it, many pets are unfortunately abandoned while in the hospital because the costs become so high. I was able to get the money through a loan service, but they only gave me up to $8,000.
Once they received the confirmation, they began treatment. He was given antibiotics, painkillers, and had a procedure where two tubes were placed on either side of his chest to drain the infected fluid. These tubes use a saline solution to flush out the infected liquid and bacteria. He was admitted on April 1.
Now, he is in an overall stable condition. Levi's left side has been making progress, the fluid does not have much infected material within them, but his right side has continued to push out infected fluid. The doctor at this point believes that surgery would be the recommended way to help Levi beat pyothorax, as it would allow them to go into his chest and get the bacteria out. The procedure involved to get a CAT scan, surgery, and related care is $10,000.
Everyday that he is in the hospital, it is another $1,000 that gets added to the bill. As of April 7, 2021. His bill reaches about $12,000 total, $8,000 of which has already been paid. I still have to pay the rest of that separate bill.
Now, I don't have $10,000. I hardly even have $1,000 depending on the time of the month. I've been trying. I'm applying for grants and other services, loans and such, but not all of them have accepted myself or those involved in Levi's care. I don't even know if I will receive responses from some of these foundations and services. What I do know, is that I would give every single aspect of myself, my life, and my possessions to ensure that Levi survives this. The reason the survivability rate for pyothorax is only 70%, is because of cost, it becomes so expensive to treat. Surgery is the recommended solution to figure out what's going on in his chest and remove any offending bacteria, but I need help paying for it.
I don't know what I expect. I know the past year has been unprecedented, everyone has experienced loss in some form. The pandemic has certainly made things harder for everyone. A cat may not compare to family member or a livelihood, but Levi means the world to us. He is our sun and our stars, we could search the whole world and I don't think I'd ever meet a cat quite like him. If there's anyone out there who can spare anything, even a little bit, my family and I would be so eternally grateful. It would help pay for the surgery to relieve the fluid in his chest and help him beat the infection. I would personally thank each and every person who could help even a little bit with funding this. I would send thank you cards and update photos and Levi would become just as much yours as he is ours. If you're not able to donate, just even sharing this campaign would mean the world to me.
Levi was found under the house by my brother-in-law, in May 2020. He was abandoned by the mom cat, for reasons unknown. It was later discovered that the space under the house were he was found, there were also 3 other cat skeletons. We can't help but wonder if we saved him from a worse fate, he had previously been seen with three siblings. Are they connected? I don't know, but it's still heartbreaking to think about.
Levi transformed from a hissy, scared kitten, to a social and loving cat who loves headbutting everyone and everything around him, asking for pets. He cemented himself into all of our hearts. He cannot begin the day without saying hi to my sister, Karina, and her partner, Isaac. He'll take certain moments out of the day to ensure that he not only cuddles with me, he'll cuddle with Karina, he'll cuddle Lola. He'd even cuddle with a toilet paper roll. He flopped down at your feet or reached out to nuzzle his head into your fingers. He loves flopping over into people's laps and sleeping by their sides. All Levi knows how to do is love. It kills me to think that's he's in the hospital and has no idea of what's happened. I worry he thinks I abandoned him. We just want to bring him home. I love that cat more than life itself, and I know he loves just as hard in return.
The rest of that night, we weren't sure if he would make it. They discovered a lot of fluid within his chest, so much so they needed to tap it in order to help stabilize him enough to transfer to a separate hospital, where he was admitted to their critical care unit.
To even be admitted to the critical care unit, it was an estimated $8,000 to $10,000. They would not even start treatment until I paid 75% of the bill. I understand the reasoning behind it, many pets are unfortunately abandoned while in the hospital because the costs become so high. I was able to get the money through a loan service, but they only gave me up to $8,000.
Once they received the confirmation, they began treatment. He was given antibiotics, painkillers, and had a procedure where two tubes were placed on either side of his chest to drain the infected fluid. These tubes use a saline solution to flush out the infected liquid and bacteria. He was admitted on April 1.
Now, he is in an overall stable condition. Levi's left side has been making progress, the fluid does not have much infected material within them, but his right side has continued to push out infected fluid. The doctor at this point believes that surgery would be the recommended way to help Levi beat pyothorax, as it would allow them to go into his chest and get the bacteria out. The procedure involved to get a CAT scan, surgery, and related care is $10,000.
Everyday that he is in the hospital, it is another $1,000 that gets added to the bill. As of April 7, 2021. His bill reaches about $12,000 total, $8,000 of which has already been paid. I still have to pay the rest of that separate bill.
Now, I don't have $10,000. I hardly even have $1,000 depending on the time of the month. I've been trying. I'm applying for grants and other services, loans and such, but not all of them have accepted myself or those involved in Levi's care. I don't even know if I will receive responses from some of these foundations and services. What I do know, is that I would give every single aspect of myself, my life, and my possessions to ensure that Levi survives this. The reason the survivability rate for pyothorax is only 70%, is because of cost, it becomes so expensive to treat. Surgery is the recommended solution to figure out what's going on in his chest and remove any offending bacteria, but I need help paying for it.
I don't know what I expect. I know the past year has been unprecedented, everyone has experienced loss in some form. The pandemic has certainly made things harder for everyone. A cat may not compare to family member or a livelihood, but Levi means the world to us. He is our sun and our stars, we could search the whole world and I don't think I'd ever meet a cat quite like him. If there's anyone out there who can spare anything, even a little bit, my family and I would be so eternally grateful. It would help pay for the surgery to relieve the fluid in his chest and help him beat the infection. I would personally thank each and every person who could help even a little bit with funding this. I would send thank you cards and update photos and Levi would become just as much yours as he is ours. If you're not able to donate, just even sharing this campaign would mean the world to me.
Co-organizers (2)
Vanessa Landaverde
Organizer
Elizabeth, NJ
Karina Landawhatever
Co-organizer