More Time With Parker

When our veterinarian told us that the lumps on Parker’s neck could be an infection or lymphoma, my heart sank. I tried to stay positive and hope that it was only an infection. A few days later, we received a diagnosis of lymphoma and we were devastated. We’ve had Parker since he was 8 weeks old, and after 11 years of companionship, it felt impossible to imagine coming home from work and not seeing his face.

Thanks to your generosity and all the amazing people at Frankie’s Friends, we have more time to spend with Parker, time that we thought we wouldn’t have.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Emilia and family

P.S. Parker is doing great and responding well to the treatments!

Dunston Receives Cancer Treatment He Needed

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind and generous gift towards treatment for lymphoma for my cat Dunston.  I was heartbroken when I found out his diagnosis, and extremely stressed since the treatment that offered the best prognosis was not within my means. I love Dunston so much; he's family to me, and I wanted to provide him with the best care available.  Without your contribution I wouldn't have been able to consider optimal treatment as an option.

Best Regards,

Michele

Thanks for more time with Winston

Although Winston lost the battle with his lymphoma, the treatments helped for a while and gave us more time with him before we lost the battle. For that time we had, we will always be grateful for Frankie's Friends' assistance. We weren't aware that there was such a wonderful organization and we plan to tell everyone about Frankie's Friends and encourage support for it.

To all the donors to Frankie's Friends: thank you with all our hearts for helping us with funding to fight our Winston's lymphoma. Your kindness will never be forgotten!

- Larry and Connie

Gusto Gets Special Gift of Life From Frankie's Friends

Dear Frankie's Friends, There really aren't words enough to thank you for giving our baby Gusto a second chance at life.  He is being treated by the greatest group of people at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa. Special thanks to our Oncologist Dr. Kane for his professionalism and to our family clinician Dr. Trakas from Country Chase Veterinary in Tampa who recommended the good people at BluePearl.  When we found out that Frankie's Friends could help, we were literally in tears.  If it wasn't for your caring outreach and dedication to helping those  in need, we would have had to of foregone the chemotherapy that Gusto needed for his lymphoma.

Now, however, with your special gift of life to Gusto, he is doing extremely well in his therapy, and the prognosis is looking excellent.  We can't thank you enough for your help.  We will forever be indebted to Frankie's Friends for all that you've done and will continue to do through the remainder of his treatment.

God bless you all.

Best Regards and Special Thanks,

Suzy and Chris

Eddie the American bulldog

This is the story of our puppy, Eddie.

My husband knew he wanted a dog, so he did a lot of research on several different types of dogs.  He wanted a dog with a good temperament, since we do have grandchildren.  So in April 2011, he found a breeder, Matt, of American bull dogs and English bull dogs.

The first time we saw Eddie, he was in the pen with his sisters and brothers, and he had the most calm demeanor of all the puppies.  He then looked up at us and reached up on the side of the pen to be picked up.

We brought our puppy home and he became the spoiled puppy of the neighborhood, park, hardware store, grocery store, and even 7-Eleven.

On Jan. 8, 2013, we took Eddie to his vet, because he seemed to be panting more then normal and was not sleeping well at night. They started running a lot of tests on him, of which, all came back negative.

We were visiting the vet almost on a daily basis. The following week I had to go out of town. My husband became more concerned as his condition continued to deteriorate.  When I came back from my trip the following Saturday, my husband and puppy picked me up from the airport. Eddie was having a hard time breathing and his tongue was blue, so we took him straight to the emergency room.

The vet on call that night told us that we had a very sick puppy, and that he needed specialized treatment. That is the first time we heard about BluePearl. It turns out, Eddie had lymphoma in his chest, abdomen and liver.  We were happy we finally had a diagnosis, but totally stressed out as to how to pay for this. My husband is on dialysis and I am the only one working and maintaining the household.  We did not have pet insurance, as we were trying to find a policy that would work into our limited budget.

Frankie's Friends is a Godsend for us, because without it, I do not know how we could pay for his treatments.

We all love our animals, and I really thought we were going to lose our puppy.

Thank you for being there.

Cheryl

Petrie Fights Lymphoma

Dear Frankie's Friends, I wanted to thank you for your assistance as my cat Petrie fights against Lymphoma. Being right out of college, I can truly appreciate this financial assistance. Petrie has not only been my pet, but one of my closest friends for the past 11 years. I found her in the woods when she was a kitten while my mother was fighting cancer as well. Ever since, Petrie has been with me through college and even rode shotgun when I moved down to Florida from New York. I have been in a lot of places where I have been away from friends and family, but I have always had Petrie with me to keep me from being lonely. Frankie's Friends has made it possible for me to ensure Petrie has a chance to fight this.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Nick

Shorty: Getting Better With Chemo Treatments

We recently received the following update from Shorty (aka "Spooky") and his mom, Lillian: Spooky has passed his 1 year chemotherapy protocol. Spooky is now in remission, thanks to the Dr. Agnes Varis and Zeus Varis Fund. Spooky would never have gotten this far without Dr Varis.

It was not an easy year for Spooky. Even though Spooky had no major side effects with his chemotherapy, he did have a few small ones. I think if Spooky could talk he would tell you how happy he is to be given the greatest gift of all, another chance at life.

Spooky loves Dr. Kyles, Dr. Lachowicz, Dr. Oberthaler, and the entire staff at (BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Manhattan). I hope that many other cats and dogs can be as lucky as Spooky has been.

Thank you, Dr. Varis and Zeus, for believing in Spooky

The following was from the fall of 2010, shortly after treatment had begun: How do we -- Shorty and I -- begin to thank you for your compassion and generosity in paying for Shorty's chemotherapy treatments? You have given my cat, Shorty, the chance to beat lymphoma. I am a great believer in miracles and I feel Shorty will complete his chemotherapy treatments and be cancer-free.

Shorty and I will be forever grateful. Thank you so very much.

Sincerely yours, Lillian and Shorty

Sunny: Has a new sunny outlook on life!

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me with my Sunny. He is looking so much better now and has gained weight. Now I have hope for a future with my Sunny Bunny. I would like to tell you his story. He was born in the basement of my building. His mom was feral and she was eventually trapped and sent to a sanctuary. His twin sister died of poisoning from licking oil based paint that was stuck to her fur, and his other sister is still living out in the streets on my block, and sometimes still sleeps in the basement of my building. A sweet old lady feeds her. I remember his mom being pregnant and I remember Sunny being so tiny following his mom around the block. One day he disappeared. A year later a crazy alcoholic woman in my building that is known for taking in kittens and then throwing them out when they are grown, came to me and said  that she had a boy cat named Sunny. She said that she had no money for cat food. I bought her cat food and took it to her home instead of giving her money. I knew if I didn't she would just buy alcohol and cigarettes. I offered to have Sunny fixed for her, she refused. I warned her that his behavior would change if she didn't let him get fixed, she also had another unaltered female cat in her home.  She still refused. A week later I was walking my dog in the back of the apartment building when I noticed a large yellow cat that I haven't seen before looking lost. He followed me into the building and up the stairs to my apartment. I realized this was the kitten that went missing from the front of my building, and the one the crazy lady called Sunny. The crazy lady had thrown him out, as expected. I asked her where was Sunny, and she lied and said she gave him to a friend. I told her I found Sunny out in the back and that he had started to sniff at her apartment looking for her. She said Sunny was a bad cat. Well, he's mine now, and is the sweetest baby in the world. He is so good and never does anything wrong.

I couldn't ask for a better companion. He does wake me up in the middle of the night with head bumps while I'm trying to sleep, but who could get angry with that? He plays with my rat named Local and is so gentle with him. I found another cat in front of the building that is his brother from another litter. They love each other. I am sending you a picture of Sunny with his brother Fela, one with me and Sunny, and another of Sunny with Local, my rat.

Sunny is only 3 years old, and I was so devastated to hear he had lymphoma. After all this poor guy went through in his life, to end up like this breaks my heart. My family came to visit him in the hospital when he was hospitalized. He's stayed in my sister's home, and my mother's home when I needed them to babysit Sunny, and he was so well behaved that they asked me to bring back for a visit. If I hadn't had your help, the help of Frankie's Friends, and Dr. Lachowicz (the oncologist), Sunny would be gone from my life. I just suffered the loss of my dog named Stranger from old age (14-1/2 years old) in January, and the loss of my cat Butterscotch from old age (16 years old) last September. It's just too much pain to endure losing another family member so soon. The day he was diagnosed  with cancer I had been laid off from my job. I thought to myself, "What else could go wrong?" With your help things finally got better. The doctor said he is reacting positively to the chemo and he will be weaned off of the chemo little by little. What a relief. I just wanted you to know where Sunny came from, and now his life is turning around for the better. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Sincerely, Miguel

Angel is Alive Thanks to Frankie's Friends!

Our dog Angel was diagnosed with stage II lymphoma in September of 2009.  Thankfully, Angel was a candidate for a life-saving canine bone marrow transplant at NC State; the bone marrow transplant is the only possible cure for dogs with lymphoma.  The only thing standing between Angel and her cure was money.  We were able to fund the chemotherapy, and we had to raise the additional $16,000 needed for Angel’s BMT.  We applied everywhere for financial aid, and after several weeks we finally had a breakthrough. Angel’s vet emailed Frankie’s Friends asking if they had any grants available in our area.  Frankie’s Friends wasn’t able to offer a donation, however their offer was incredible.  Frankie’s Friends agreed to accept donations on Angel’s behalf.  This was just the breakthrough we needed!  Once Frankie’s Friends decided to help we had instant credibility and were able to offer donors a tax deduction.  Suddenly, doors flew open where walls once stood.  It was amazing!  Because of Frankie’s Friends we were able to fund-raise for Angel on Facebook, and we raised close to $2,500!  Frankie’s Friends donated directly to the school when Angel checked in and the rest is history.

May 6, 2011 marks Angel’s 7^th birthday and her one-year post-BMT anniversary!  Angel just received her one-year post-BMT test results and she is still 100% CANCER FREE without medication or radiation. : )

THANK YOU Frankie’s Friends for helping us Save Angel’s life!  We are forever grateful for your kindness. You are TRUE SAINTS!!

Sincerely,

Kristie & Angel

Bear: Doberman Cuddles & Love

Words can really not express how thankful we are that our Bear was chosen to receive funding for his cancer treatments. Bear means the world to us, and you gave him the opportunity to become healthy. You also gave us hope. You are very much someone we think of daily and we are so grateful to cross life paths with you. Your generosity has truly inspired us to become involved in foster care of both dogs and cats, and to strive to give. We hope to someday be able to provide funding for a pet in need like you have done for our family. Bear has been through two surgeries recently and has recovered remarkably well from both. Our biggest issue was trying to have him not run around. He is finishing radiation today and still enjoys coming in for treatment each day. He has been having some really happy days lately! We get him out of bed in the morning by saying, “Want to go to see Dr. Lachowicz, Alba, and Darlene!" He jumps right out of (our) bed with his ears sticking straight up and heads to the door. We are very grateful to NYC Veterinary Specialists who have “spoiled” our Bear. We joke that we are leaving him at daycare each time we drop him off.

Everyone (really everyone) at NYCVS has been amazing and Bear has been given wonderful care. Bear is a gentle soul, who is happy just to be loved. We raised Bear from day one, when our other Dobie, Chyna, gave birth to a litter. He was a round pup that loved to cuddle so it is easy to see how we fell in love with him. Bear has done wonders for the Doberman breed. He is kind and gentle, and very friendly. His amazing demeanor and warmth has helped others become more interested in the Doberman. He has helped people who are not Dobie owners see what we see; that they are the best “cuddlers”, are sweet, smart, and very sensitive to our moods. Bear and Chyna are our “kids”, and we both credit them with getting us through some very difficult times. They saved us, and your kindness helped our family immensely.

I have enclosed some pictures of Bear for you to enjoy. He is quite a sweet boy and we believe these will bring you enjoyment. We will keep you updated on Bear’s continued progress! Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.

Warmest regards,

Amy and Joseph Bear & Chyna

Loki: Playful & Mischievous Again

I cannot begin to thank you enough for funding my cat’s lymphoma treatments through your foundation, the Zeus Varis Fund. Without your assistance, Loki and I would have had little hope as my limited financial resources could never have supported the world-class care he is currently receiving. I rescued Loki (and his sister, Freya) over eight years ago, and he has been a fearless and loving little character since the day I brought him home. I’m often inspired by his tireless curiosity, and his warmth and unconditional affection have helped get me through more than a few tough days. Needless to say, Loki’s diagnosis before Christmas broke my heart.

After researching possible courses of treatment, I was very lucky to reach Dr. Oberthaler.  My experience with her and the staff at the NYC Veterinary Specialists (Alba Salcedo, et al.) has been extraordinary. Dealing with professionals whose competency is matched by their warmth and genuine compassion for the animals has made a very difficult time for me much easier. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to them.

In closing, I am elated to report that since beginning treatment in early January, Loki’s condition has improved dramatically. He has gone from hiding under the bed and eating very little to his former spirited self…chasing his sister, eating like a lion and creating endearing mischief. Although Loki may never be permanently cured (although I remain cautiously hopeful), I sleep a bit easier knowing that through your generosity and compassion and the talents of Dr. Oberthaler and her staff, I was able to provide Loki with the best care possible and additional time with his family.

Every day I get to spend with him is a gift. Thank you again for caring.

Sincerely,

Holly

Eliot: A Best Friend Is Saved

Thank you. Thank you. I am indebted to you and your generosity. What you have done for Eliot will stay with us always. You have made what I thought to be impossible possible and you have saved my best friend and wonderful companion. Eliot thanks you, too. He wants to live; he is a survivor dedicated to getting better and stronger, and every day, he is. Your gift shined the light on us that we desperately needed in the middle of a very dark six weeks. It shifted the pattern of bad news to a string of good news; recently Eliot's blood work has gotten consistently better, he is eating on his own, and he is responding to the chemotherapy well.

I am an English Ph.D. student, my partner is an aviation student J and my brother has been living with us virtually unemployed since graduating college in 2008. We have no money and lots and lots of debt. I do not know how we would have supported the chemotherapy without your help.

Eliot's illness has made me reflect quite a bit both on life and giving. I study ethics as a part of my literary pursuits and I feel both from an erhical standpoint and an emotional standpoint totally indebted (in a good way) to your kindness. You have become a model for how I would like to contribute to the world once I get my degree and a job. I am inspired to "pay" my good luck in receiving your gift "forward" and once I have the resources will help other families treat their animals through Frankie's Friends, too. Thank you for giving me a model act of citizenry to which I can aspire. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you for your help.

Much love and warm wishes,

Eliot, Ashley, Andrew, and Robin

Thank you!

Sam: Opportunity to Spend More Time

Thank you so much for the support for my cat Sam, from the Zeus Varis Fund of Frankie's Friends, for his radiation treatments.  Sam has lymphosarcoma in his mouth. I would not have been able to pay for the radiation therapy so I was so grateful for this grant and the chance for Sam to have more time with me. Unfortunately the CT scan of his head showed a brain tumor. Dr Rocha and I discussed all the problems and  decided that the radiation therapy would not help the brain tumor and the best plan would be for Sam to not have any treatment.  I am still very grateful for your generosity and help. Here are some pictures of Sam.

He is a beautiful cat with a very sweet, friendly personality.

Thank you again for your offer of support,

Pam

Avery: Keeping Her Family Warm with Snuggles & Purrs

Avery was a foster cat, sleeping in her litter box in a cage. I had fostered a cat before and felt good about providing a nice home while they waited for a permanent one. When I brought Avery home it was different than any other cat I had fostered before. Avery had a cold and had the tiniest sneeze. She had an eye infection and a scratched cornea. She followed me into every room and meowed. I thought she was starving so I tried feeding her every  type of pet food the local deli had to offer. I knew that this sweet little creature needed to be taken care of and she had won my heart. I knew that night that this cat was mine to love and care for. She needed care and protection and I was going to give that to her. Eventually, Avery found a food she liked, but she still meowed. It turned out she is just a chatty cat. Avery will happily sit on anyone's lap and purr. Her nightly ritual is snuggling up against us when we sleep. She has been referred to as a "feline bathroom escort"- no one can go to the bathroom without her, she will scratch at the door until she is granted entrance. She is not an independent cat, she always wants to be with people. Avery waits all day for her humans to come home and pet her. She has the loudest purr. On nights when we had no heat she would rub her face against mine and ask to be let under the covers.

Avery has given us so much love and warmed our hearts for nine years. Finding out she has lymphoma was devastating, a total shock. I have been able to take care of her so well until now. I was heartbroken thinking that she would only have a month or two left and I could not afford the treatment that could prolong her life. This funding has given us hope, it gives Avery a chance to snuggle close for a few more months, for us to love and take care of her. It is impossible to express our gratitude for this extreme act of kindness that has changed our lives and shown us the very best of human nature.

Thank you for giving us a light during this unexpected and very difficult time.

Jason & Avery

Kerry: Can't Keep a Good Pekingese Down

On behalf my family and our little Pekingese, Kerry, 11.5 years old, we would like to thank you for the generous help you gave us for his cancer surgery and treatment.  It certainly made our Christmas a bright one.  I was in rehabilitation for a spinal cord problem for five months. When I finally came home, my beloved Golden Retriever, Shannon and Kerry's best friend, was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done and she had to be put to sleep. Of course this broke my heart, I could not face losing Kerry too. Kerry was diagnosed with melanoma on her jaw, by Dr. Lewis Gelfand who did the initial operation, biopsied the growth and referred us to Dr. Joshua Lachowicz at NYC Veterinary Specialists. Kerry's prognosis was not good unless a second operation was preformed along with chemotherapy.

We will always be grateful to you, the Zeus Varis Fund,  NYC Veterinary Specialists, Dr.  Joshua Lachowicz, Dr. Mark Levy and Vivian Llodra for all of the care and assistance that was given to us.

It is three weeks since Kerry's surgery and treatment started. She has become a more active dog, playing with our two grandchildren and her new best friend Ginger our newly adopted golden retriever. Once again, thank you so much for giving us more time with Kerry.

God Bless You.

Forever Grateful, ~~~

Dolores & Kerry

Grey: A New Leash on Life

I want to say how utterly thankful we are to have Grey still with us.  After losing Harry in August,  my friend of nearly 14 years, to hemangiosarcoma, learning of Grey's lymphoma was devastating. Grey is doing wonderfully, despite his new hair style, fortunately, he's not too vain.  When I found him wandering lost in a National Forest in California nine years ago, he was an energetic and playful ball of fur.  Harry was in the car with me and patiently waited for two hours while I tried to catch Grey.  As soon as we brought Grey home from the vet, Harry welcomed him.  With my help, that was the first time Harry saved Grey.

Then, a few years later, we were evacuated during a California wildfire and took refuge at a friend's home.  I let the dogs out to use the yard and started making their dinner, when Harry came pounding on the glass window in a panic I had never seen before (or since).  I looked out to see Grey swimming poorly in a ash-covered swimming pool and rushed out to rescue him.  That was the second time Harry saved Grey.

Then, this past year, Harry became ill.  After learning it was cancer and not having insurance, we quickly tried to enroll our other pets.  It was then, after Grey's exam, that the doctor discovered his swollen lymph nodes.  If Harry hadn't gotten sick, at the rate Grey's lymph nodes were swelling, he might not have lived.  That was the last time Harry saved Grey and it cost him his life.

Four months later and Grey is a new dog.  He's learned to play again thanks to Katie's exuberance. He's even happy to go to the vet for his treatments -- he loves everyone there.  He is now in full remission and we're thankful for every healthy day we have left with him.  And, now he has a little sister to look out for him.

You can see him and Katie playing at http://qik.com/video/19298949.

Thanks again.  We're all wearing the Frankie's Friends blue bracelets. Grey has his twisted onto his collar.

With humble gratitude,

Scott & Will

Liberty: Enjoying the Holidays With Her Family

Thank you so much for your support of Liberty.  I am very happy knowing that there are caring people like yourself, helping to care for sick pets. Thank you again, Gayle

Eddy: Able to Enjoy the Holidays

I will like to thank you, Dr. Oberthaler, the doctors who operated on Eddy, the lovely staff @ NYC Veterinary Specialists for the great care Eddy has been receiving; and most of all Dr.Varis for her generosity in helping us with Eddy’s medical bills. You don’t know how much my husband and I appreciate the help that’s been provided, I don't know what I would've done if it wasn’t for the help provided by the Zeus Varis Fund. Our dog(Eddy) has been giving another chance in this world.

I myself have a lot to be thankful for, both Eddy and I are battling this disease. But with the help of God and the excellent medical service, we are receiving. we will both win this battle.

Again thanks to all for your outstanding care.

Love Ada and Eddy.

Happy Holidays.

Sophie: Purring Her Thanks To Dr. Varis

I can't tell you how grateful I am that the Zeus Varis Fund helps families provide care for their critically ill animals. To my amazement, the award I received from the fund is almost enough to cover the entire treatment for my cat, Sophie, which is to say, that it made the treatment possible. Without your help, I could not have even considered providing chemotherapy for Sophie, who has lymphoma. So far she's had one treatment and is responding well. In every way my experience at NYC Veterinary Specialists has been so much easier than I anticipated. When you walk in the door, the place feels calm and welcoming. Everyone I've dealt with has been kind, caring and patient when faced with my anxiousness and willing to take the time to talk with me about what to expect.

On top of that to have had the big barrier, money, swept aside by Frankie's Friends Zeus Varis Fund, is unexpected good fortune of such magnitude that I’m still really reeling.

Thank you so much.

With sincere appreciation,

Susan & Sophie

Dusty: Fighting Lymphoma with Everything He's Got

Thank you to Frankie's Friends Zeus Varis Fund, which has given my beloved pet cat Dusty a second chance at life.  After thirteen wonderful healthy years with Dusty he developed lymphoma. Through chemo therapy Dusty has an excellent chance for remission.  Without the Zeus Varis Fund Dusty would not have this chance.  I can't express my gratitude enough to Dr. Varis and all those associated with Frankie's Friends/Zeus Varis Fund for giving my beautiful pet Dusty a fighting chance.

Dusty is still in the process of treatment, but whatever happens, I can rest easy knowing that all that can be done for Dusty is being done.

Thank you and the oncology team at the NYC Veterinary Specialists from the bottom of my heart -- and Dusty's too!  Keep up the good work!

Forever grateful,

Deborah & Dusty