Please support Tommy get his dental surgery!

(At the end of the story you will see Tommy's updates)

Hello, my name is Santiago Rojas, I am a cook and I have always been a dedicated and hardworking man, I never thought I would ask for help through this platform, but the pandemic and its variants have practically devastated the restaurant industry and I was laid off for a year and a half as soon the pandemic started, that leaved me with few job opportunities. Seeing Tommy suffer with pain in his teeth, that sometimes does not allow him to eat breaks my heart and I it's time to accept that right now I can not pay for his medical care and that there is nothing wrong in asking for help when we feel that we can't stay up on our own, I vehemently believe that all living beings deserve a second chance and if I cannot do it alone, I know that there are many good-hearted people who can help Tommy receive the medical care he urgently needs. From my heart I say thank you and hope and pray that God allow me to pay it forward. 

 

Tommy is a cat that had lived for many years on the streets of Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York. Neighbors who know him say that he is an adult cat of approximately 10 years old. On December 19, 2019, my wife and I rescued him from the street, because he had a terrible injury on his cheek and also had a cold and a severe cough. Tommy belonged to a cat colony in the backyard of a neighbor who allowed us to make a kind of insulated shelter where we tried to protect them from the cold in the harsh winter, but Tommy was in a really bad shape, so that night we managed to capture him and take him home, my wife had been calling many rescuers asking to come to help Tommy, but they were all busy so no one showed up.

 

On December 20th, 2019, Tommy was taken by my wife and the owner of the backyard Mrs. Najah T. to the Animal Care Center of NYC in Brooklyn, they gave a medical referral for Tommy to be treated the next day by a veterinarian at a clinic in Queens, on December 21st the doctor examined the wound on his cheek and gave him an antibiotic shot, they also administered the rabies vaccine and medication against flea. A week later the wound on Tommy's cheek was healing, but he still had the severe cold and a very frequent coughing and difficulty to breath. A very nice lady, Mrs. Colleen V. had seen the posts that my wife made on Cats on Street Situation on Facebook where she asked a rescue worker to help Tommy and another female cat (Ashley) who was also sick, Mrs. Colleen V. was always checking on Tommy's evolution via FB posts, but when she learnt that Tommy was still sick she helped to take Tommy to the vet for the second time, this time he was taken to Park Slope Veterinary Center on December 28, 2019 at 10:00 am, the vet checked him and gave him an antibiotic called Zithromax for 10 days.

 

That same day, December 28th, 2019, Sunset Park Cats responded to the call for help, we informed them that Tommy was rescued 10 days before and was already under medical treatment, but that there was a female cat (Ashley) that was in really bad shape and was almost dying because she was unable to eat due to a severe infection in her mouth and we could tell that she was in severe pain whenever she tried to eat. Without hesitation, Sonia from Sunset Park Cats helped with the rescue of Ashley and took her to the vet on that same day, after examining her the veterinarian recommended that she will need to go under surgery to extract all of her teeth due to a very advanced feline gingivitis, Ashley underwent 2 dental surgeries to remove all of her teeth. That was when we learnt that a extraction surgery is very expensive, Ashley’s surgery was around $3,000 dollars, but Ashley is not Asthmatic and have less health problems than Tommy. Ashley has always had a close bond with Tommy so we decided to bring her with us because we saw Tommy too depressed and maybe seeing a familiar face would cheer him up. On January 26th, 2020, Tommy continued to present very bad episodes of cough and difficulty to breath, Sunset Park Cats decided to take Tommy to their vet, they did some X-rays and the specialist detected that he had chronic asthma and a partially collapsed lung. Flovent HFA 125 mcg inhaler was prescribed and Tommy had to inhale it twice a day for the rest of his life.

 

The original intention when we rescued Tommy and Ashley, was to provide them with medical attention and have them temporarily until they recovered and someone wanted to adopt them asa bonded pair or put them back to the streets, some people have asked or seem interested, but when they learn about their age and health problems loose interest. Although our lease does not allow us to have pets, we decided to take the risk to have them with us. On April 12th, 2021 we were informed that there was a family interested in adopting Tommy and Ashley because they recently lost their cat, but upon checking their social media, we learned that they were not apt to take care of two sick cats because they traveled a lot and through the pictures we could see the conditions that their last cat was living in and that is not what we wanted for Tommy and Ashley, due to their condition Tommy and Ashley require attention permanently, and I have to accept that it hasn't been easy, but I have not regreat the decision to keep them with us.

 

Since December 28th, 2019 to May 2021, Sunset Park Cats helped with food and medical care to both cats and it was a true blessing. 

 

On July 5, 2021 we took Tommy to the Carroll Gardens Vet Group because we noticed that he has difficulty eating, a complete blood study was done and the vet said that there is a mild kidney damage, the doctor said that he did not require medication for now, only an appropriate diet to take care of the kidneys. Regarding his teeth, the veterinarian said that they are in very bad condition and need cleaning or probably the extraction of all his teeth, the veterinarian suggested to be taken to a specialist at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) since it is the appropriate place for Tommy because of his severe asthma condition, and this hospital has all of the specialists that Tommy requires. We have made an appointment at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, but the closest appointment was scheduled for February 2022, we called again to try to get a spot earlier, but we were told that there is no space available and that they have to move Tommy's appointment for March 2022, only for the visit it's gonna be $ 255.00, and we understand that dental surgery for cats is very expensive and that is why we decided to start this fundraiser so that Tommy can receive the medical and specialized care that he needs so urgently.

 

Over time we have grown fond of them and although both have had a big improvement compared to how they were when they were rescued, we do not have the heart to put them on the street again, added to this, the pandemic came and I was unemployed for a year and a half and I have not been able to get back on my feet financially, recently my wife got really sick and was admitted to the Maimonides Medical Center for 5 days and was diagnosed with several health problems that prevent her from working and that hospitalization generated new expenses that we never contemplated. We want all the best for Tommy, but my financial situation does not allow me to cover the specialized medical expenses that he requires, so I beg for your help with anything you can donate, there is no small amount, anything helps and can be a ray of hope to give Tommy the treatment he desperately needs and can help him to have a better quality of life. Any donation is very important, if you can’t donate please help me to share this fundraising, it would mean a lot to him.

 

You can check out Tommy and Ashley's story on the Instagram account we created for them: @ashley.and.tommy

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCYQODy6zcGwLhqW2YfpdkSQ

 

God bless you! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following photos are of Tommy when he lived on the streets and fed in a neighbor's yard.

 

 

 

Tommy's life inside the house

 

 

 

 

Update on April 12, 2022

Today was Tommy's first appointment at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. @amcny Tommy was seen by Dr. Django Martel he check his teeth, blood work was done as well as a chest x-ray and as soon as both results are in, they will contact us and let us know what will be the next step.

But Dr. Martel said that just by looking, he could tell that at least 10 teeth need to come out, but that might change after the dental x- ray is done on Tommy's next visit.

We will be posting everything that the process involves, today was a little stressful day due to the sad event that happened at 36 street subway station and we pray that the injured get well and that the perpetrator can be caught and brought to justice.

Early in the morning we got up with positive vibes only to learn of the shooting, so all trains were suspended, end up taking a cab, but took us forever to get to the City and on our way back had to come home by the NYC Ferry. So today Tommy took a stroll at the Great Apple

Our deepest thanks to all of the wonderful people that have contributed to Tommy's Gofundme Campaign in a way or another, we also will make a special post to update you on the fundraising.

May God always bless you.

We want to add that everybody at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center were super attentive, helpful and professional, but Dr. Martel was top notch.

Update on April 13, 2022

Tommy's chest X-ray and lab test results were sent to us today.

Unfortunately the results of both studies are not looking good, they have asked us to have Tommy evaluated by the internal medicine doctor. The appointment with the internist has been set for wednesday next week. We will keep you informed of what happens. We greatly appreciate the prayers and good vibes and all the help given to Tommy.

Update on April 20, 2022

Hello friends, Tommy had a long day at AMC, but here we are reporting.

Tommy was seen by Dr. Nahvid Etedali, had an ultrasound done to assess the state of his kidneys. He had also two urinalysis lab tests to discard any infection.

One thing that we were not happy about, was that in internal medicine they decided to do Tommy another 3 view chest x-ray, because they wanted to see if there were any changes from last week, due to the change on the dosage of Tommy's inhaler, to be honest we were not really happy about it, because we think it was too soon to get those x-rays again, but the doctors are the ones who know what is best and we had to accept it.

They also took Tommy's blood pressure and he is fine on that part. While we wait for the test results the doctor Etedali said that Tommy had to go on a strict renal diet to prevent more damage his kidneys. The test results will be sent in the coming days.

Our deepest thanks for all of the good vibes messages and the support you sent for Tommy.

Update on May 27, 2022

AMC Medical Records has finally send all the results of Tommy's latest tests, which were performed on April 20 by Dr. Nahvid Etedali.

Applied studies:

.Ultrasound of kidneys.

.Ultrasound guided cystocentesis

.X-rays

.Urinalysis with UPC reflex

.ISEXX urine culture and MIC suscepti

. Blood pressure

We are waiting for the anesthesiologist to review the results and decide if Tommy can withstand anesthesia for his dental surgery. As soon as they inform us, we will share the final desicion with you. We will also post all of the expenses for the tests done.

Thank you for all the support God bless you.

Update on august 18, 2022

Dear friends, I want to update you on my visit to The Animal Medical Center. Dr. Amanda LaRose was my cardiologist and she performed an echocardiogram on me and said that my heart is fine. So I can be anesthetized for my dental surgery.

As soon as my humans get the results of the echocardiogram I will make sure they share them with you. Dr. Amanda and her medical team were very kind and good to me. The cost of the echo and consultation was $720, but Dr. Amanda gave me a discount and only charged me $392.62. She told me that she charged me that amount only to contribute and help me get my dental surgery asap.

Thank you to everyone who has helped to get me the medical attention needed prior to my dental.

I still don't know the cost of the dental surgery, hopefully Dr. Martell will give me the appointment and the cost of the surgery soon.

Thank you and have a wonderful night. ❤️Tommy❤️