The heart behind our charity
Like most dog owners, I believe that I had the best dog ever! She was my everything. People who knew us would tell me how lucky she was to have me, but the truth was, I was the lucky one. We were a team … for 15 years.
On December 1, 2020 my world changed when she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. I don’t think I realized at the time the battle we were about to begin together. All I could do to stop myself from falling apart was focus on her treatment plan and give her a fighting chance. With a “guarded” diagnosis, we began our journey. She had an amazing team of medical professionals, especially her cardiologist. I remember telling her that I wanted to give Izzie any and all treatments available as long as her little body could handle it. This included hospital stays, ER visits, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, specialized medicines, oxygen therapy and special food.
Throughout it all, I never allowed cost to influence any of our decisions. I was determined to give her everything possible so that I would never look back and wonder “what if?”
Izzie was a fighter too! She gave me one last Christmas, one last New Year’s and on a cold, snowy February morning, she gave me one last kiss. My heart was broken in a million little pieces. I remember the cardiologist calling me a few days later saying she wanted to remind me of our first conversation – the one where I told her that I wanted to give Izzie the best care available, and she assured me we did just that! My husband and I were so incredibly thankful that we were able to make decisions without the worry of financial burden. It was in that moment that I decided I wanted to provide that same chance for other owners. My heart may never be whole again, but at least in Izzie’s memory, through The Izzie Fund, we can provide hope to other dogs facing a challenging health situation.
With love,
Victoria
