Please Help Ramona Get Life-Saving Surgery

Mars Starr is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Mars, and I’m Ramona’s human. Ramona has a hiatal hernia which is causing part of her stomach and possibly other organs to push through her diaphragm and into her chest cavity. This is putting a lot of pressure on her lungs, causing breathing issues, vomiting, and pain. Her incredible vet and I have her on medications to manage her pain and stress, but this hernia is not going to go away or heal on its own. It will worsen every time it flares up, and will shortly become life-threatening, so she needs treatment right away.

Ramona requires CT scans of her chest to determine exactly which organs are pushing through her diaphragm. After that is done, she needs surgery to repair the hernia. This is an intense and invasive surgery, which requires a transfer to a 24/7 hospital where she’ll stay overnight to recover. The animal hospital’s estimate for the cost of her surgery and hospital stay (including all fees) is $4750. I will provide an update about the cost of CT scans as soon as I have accurate information, but they cost anything between $850-$2000.

Ramona is the sweetest little lady and has been my best buddy and shadow since May 2020. She has been with me through some really tough moments and has been such a source of joy and love in my life. Ramona’s favorite things are snuggling as close to my face as she can possibly get, running up and down her cat trees, tummy rubs, striking fear into the hearts of houseplants, and playing with her favorite catnip carrot. She also loves to greet me when I come home from work and meowing until I put my things down and give her attention.

Apart from some snuggling and tummy rubs, she hasn’t been able to do any of her favorite things since this awful hernia developed and flared, and I can tell that she’s unhappy that she can’t do what she wants. It hurts to see my baby confused, frustrated, and in pain.

Ramona is an absolute trooper and a fighter. She’s eating and drinking, using her litter box, and shows interest in her toys, even though she can’t play with them for long because of her breathing issues. She wants to be around.