Yoda's Cancer Fund: Amputation & Radiation Therapy

Brittany Sneller is organizing this fundraiser.

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We are Bri, Paul & Yoda - three adventurers at heart. Yoda came into our lives in the summer of 2014, when Paul and I walked into a local shelter in Johnson City, TN. He was the only gray cat I fixed my eyes on that day - I knew he was ours from the start.

Fast forward 7 years, and Yoda has now lived in 10 cities, in 7 countries, on 3 continents. Yoda is our little world traveler, outdoor explorer, yogurt-loving, hairbow-stealing, best friend ever. But now, our best friend faces a troubling reality. Cancer. During one crisp April day, while living in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a lump, about the size of a ping pong ball, protruded from Yoda's upper left leg near his hip. I vividly remember the moment, as I smoothed my hand over his body and stopped, concerned. We promptly took him to the local vet, who sedated and shaved him, and took a sample from the lump. Our worries settled, after an initial diagnosis that, with age, fatty, harmless lumps of tissue sometimes develop.

But the lump kept growing. Now, it's the size of a small baseball. A second visit to the vet, this time in the US, and the results were clear.

Yoda was diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous tumor, specifically, an injection-site sarcoma. Our vet said she hadn't seen a case like this in over 10 years?! The first, and most obvious treatment option, she said, was to remove his entire leg. But, whether fortunately or unfortunately - this wasn't possible due to the unique location of the sarcoma near Yoda's leg-hip joint.

UPDATE - after a second diagnosis from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine - amputation was the best way forward for our sweet boy. Yoda was scheduled for surgery prep on Tuesday, August 10th, and had the operation the following day, Wednesday, August 11th. The cost of treatment, as you can imagine, is unexpected and more than we can afford, but we are moving forward with the hope to save our best friend.

Cost estimate breakdown:

-- Workup (chest x-rays, CT scans, bloodwork, sedation, hospitalization): $1k - 1.2k
-- Limb Amputation: $2.5k - 3k
-- Radiation Therapy: $6k - 7k

More than anything, we want to give Yoda at least another 7 wonderful years full of love, life and adventures. Please help us in any way you can. With your kind donation, we can give Yoda the treatment he deserves and make sure that he kicks cancer's ass.

Yoda has inspired millions of people around the world and is the inspiration behind our blog - The Fluffy Kitty. He has helped me overcome anxiety and depression, and Paul and I just can't imagine life without him. Not now, and hopefully not in the near future.

Thank you for reading and sending your love and support. ❤️Please enjoy these photos of Yoda living his best life around the world!