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Support Seamus: Brain Cancer Comfort Care Fund

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Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all doing well. Join us as we share an update about our incredible Boston Terrier, Seamus, and his inspiring journey with brain cancer.

For those of you not familiar with our story, Seamus was hospitalized at the end of December at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston and it was an emotional rollercoaster. We were crying every day. He was experiencing uncontrollable seizures and he couldn't walk due to the swelling around the brain tumor they later found when they did an MRI brain scan. After a lot of testing, we learned it was a histiocytic sarcoma brain tumor, a type of aggressive cancer.

Our Seamus was only seven and a half years old, and the thought of saying goodbye was unbearable. Finding the right combination of anti-seizure drugs took days. I vividly recall a call when we were told, "the lights are on, but no one is home," as Seamus was barely responsive. With the seizures persisting and no successful treatment in sight, we were nearing the hardest decision. However, a change in medication brought a miraculous turnaround; the seizures finally stopped, and Seamus began to come back to us.

Fast forward to January 4th, when we discovered that histiocytic sarcoma is rare in the brain. The studies were older and the pool of dogs in the studies was small. The prognosis was grim; dogs who did not undergo chemo passed away in about 5 days, while those who did do chemo, lived about 45 days longer. It was unclear if the chemotherapy would help him but the love we have for Seamus made the decision very clear: we had to give him the best shot.

The process wasn't going to be curative, but it could provide him comfort and the best quality of life. He was put on a pill form of chemotherapy every three weeks, with blood work the following week to monitor his white blood cell count. We've been lucky that the pill form he is on has minimal side effects. And though we didn't know what would happen, we had to prepare for the worst, making arrangements with a local vet for when the time came he could pass away at home.

When we first brought him home from the hospital he was wobbly when walking and slept a lot, but his brothers Ollie and Lenny were always there, watching his back.

After the first few treatments, it was clear that chemotherapy was giving Seamus his life back. Without the treatments, our lives would be very different today.

He's been a tough Boston Terrier through his chemotherapy treatments and twice-a-day multi-pill antiseizure medication regimen. Aug 23rd was his 12th round of chemotherapy since his journey began on January 4th, 2023. Seamus requires continued chemotherapy that is both lifesaving and helps him maintain the best quality of life, by controlling the growth of his tumor. Our hope is that his journey might inspire and aid others facing similar diagnoses. Dealing with any cancer is undoubtedly a difficult and heartrending experience, but we're doing our best to find joy while navigating this challenging and heartbreaking situation.

Back in January of this year, it seemed like a distant dream that Seamus would make it to his 8th birthday on May 15th. But boy, did he surprise us! Not only did he reach that milestone but he's still going strong and surprising us every day. Chemotherapy has given us more time together.

Seamus isn't just living; he's thriving! He's back to being his sociable Boston Terrier fetch-loving self and we've been crossing things off his bucket list. As part of his palliative care, he will need to continue chemotherapy and take multiple antiseizure medications for the remainder of his life, but seeing his progress from where he started to where he is now has all been worth it.

We are beyond grateful for our family, friends, dog pals, and medical heroes who've supported us throughout this journey.

All this brings us to a tough ask. We're a bit uncomfortable reaching out like this, as we've always been averse to asking for help, but for Seamus, we're ready to put our reservations aside.

To date, the medical expenses have been substantial. With the ongoing costs of chemotherapy, blood work, and necessary medications we've managed these expenses out of pocket so far. However, as we look to the future, it's clear we need additional support to continue providing the best possible care for Seamus.

If you are able, any contribution towards Seamus's ongoing treatments, no matter how small, would be met with immense gratitude. Every little bit truly does help. And if you can't, that's okay too. Simply sharing our story with others who might be able to assist would be an invaluable help.

Thank you always for your love and support.

You can follow Seamus's journey on his Instagram @weebabyseamus_thedog
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Donations 

  • Sally Kersh
    • $200
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $500
    • 1 yr
  • Stephanie Levine
    • $50
    • 1 yr
  • Mindy Anastasia
    • $50
    • 1 yr
  • John Henning
    • $100
    • 2 yrs
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Organizer

Amy Chabot
Organizer
Everett, MA

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