She is my Maya, the most special cat I've ever had.

Maya Oprah Angelou is 5 1/2 years old.  She was born in Brooklyn, NY and she is half Calico & half gray tiger.  She is the most moody, spoiled cat you have ever met.  She prefers cucumber over prime rib any day of the week. She will ONLY drink water from a cup, a bowl is just too primitive for her taste.  I got her when I was just 22 years old, and she has been with me ever since.  I've had her longer than I've known my husband.  She is my Maya, the most special cat I've ever had.   She is so smart and intuitive.  She comes to lay with me when I am crying or sick.  She turns off the light when it is time to go to bed.

We had been home from our honeymoon for just a few days when we realized Maya was unable to eat or go to the bathroom.  After testing out different foods for her, we realized something was wrong because she could not keep anything down and she was sleeping all day.

We rushed her to the animal hospital (BluePearl in Forest Hills Queens) on that Sunday afternoon.  After the ultra sound results came back, it was clear she had swallowed a ribbon and it was making it impossible for her to eat at all.  The worst part was the fact that that the ribbon had contorted her intestines and it could have caused irreversible damage.  

The doctor told us we need to do emergency surgery now, or we have to put her down because each time she swallows, it gets a little bit worse and she will eventually die from this.  

We had just gotten married and did not have the thousands of dollars it would have cost for us to have that procedure done.  With a heavy heart, we sat down and considered our options, and we both knew we had to consider how much pain she was in and we needed to do what was best for her.  

Because of Frankie's Friends, we were able to get Maya the surgery.  I will never forget what that felt like, walking back to her after almost losing her, kissing her head because she was about to go into surgery and she would be better in a few hours.  

The first week of marriage for us was the hardest.  On my wedding day (10/25), my grandfather suffered from a stroke, and had died on Saturday 11/7.  On Sunday 11/8, we were sitting in the waiting room of BluePearl wondering if we were going to have to say goodbye to our precious Maya.  As I was preparing to leave NYC for my grandfather's funeral, I was also preparing myself to possibly have to put my cat down because we could not afford the surgery.  Frankie's Friends helped to save Maya's life, making it possible for me to cry tears of joy during a tough emotional time.  I am so thankful for Frankie's Friends.  I see Maya everyday, and I am so thankful that she is still with us.

Please continue to do this work for those who cannot help their pets, they are family, they are friends, they are a part of our life. What you do is God's work, and we feel blessed.