Birthday Wishes

So today is one of those millstone milestone birthdays. I am now 40, which I understand means that I am officially ancient. Not quite as old, mind you, as Joe, who turns 50 on Saturday, which I'm told is just past decrepitude (He's a huge attention whore, btw, so go say hi). Since I'm between nights on at work today, things will be low-key, but David is planning a surprise party for me on the 18th - the surprise, of course, being that I only know the date and none of the details. I wanted, though, to share a little (pre-)birthday surprise and a birthday wish.

Last night I had a visit from Phoebe!



Funnily enough, I was thinking about her just last week before I came home from India. She's doing great other than some significant arthritis in her left hip from the fractures, and she's scheduled for surgery to deal with that next month. Her owner is still going through issues of his own 15 months out and has only just graduated from an external fixator to a splint. All things considered, though, the family seems to be getting along well, and it is due in no small part to all of you readers who contributed to Phoebe's care.

Which is actually why I was thinking of her last week. While I was in Riwalsar, I met this lovely Tibetan couple:





That's Sonam Yutron and her husband Lobsang. Those of you who read Joy's and Nyondo's blogs will have already read about Sonam Yutron's medical problems. If you haven't, though, take a few minutes to go read this post, and I'll wait here for you.

All done? Do you see now why Phoebe came to mind? It's because all those little $5 and $10 donations really added up to something simultaneously tangible and transcendent. A latté here and a burger there actually changed people's lives. While I was in Riwalsar, Sonam Yutron was doing even more than leaning on someone else. She was out and about under her own power, puttering and sweeping and doing all sorts of little things she'd been completely incapable of for years until all these tiny little donations added up to something far greater than their sum.

Unfortunately, right now the Tso Pema Medical Emergency Fund is bust. What little has come in this year has already gone to help people in need. The Feral Wives have dipped heavily into their own pockets to keep things going for the people who really need their help and have had to be very selective about what they can and cannot help with. Obviously this is in no small part due to larger economic forces, but that doesn't mean the need has gone away, and clearly a lot can be accomplished with even small donations.

So my birthday request for all of you is to see if you can spare a venti mocha or two to help replenish the fund (Paypal button on Joy's blog). Even $5 can be enough to buy a few months worth of meds for someone, so it's not an insignificant amount. There's no tax deduction to be gained, but there's a very sweet elderly Tibetan couple, among many others, who will be eternally grateful and say prayers for you, which is really a far richer reward.

A Message from Phoebe's Mom

Hi, Dr. Vassey,

I just wanted to give you an update on Phoebe. She came home from Dr. Gauger's clinic last Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008. She seems to be handling rehab in stride, although it's not going as fast as she would like. She does not like her "cone" & finds her kennel a bit boring. I try to keep her preoccupied with her purple Racoon toy, raw hide bones, and her favorite homemade peanutbutter dog biscuits. (I found this recipe on the Bassett Rescue League's newsletter "The Daily Drool"). She loves to lay out on a comforter in the middle of the livingroom floor & get massages from myself or family members several times daily. She wants so badly to climb snowbanks & run. However, my family members & I have kept her pretty distracted so she can abide by her discharge instructions.

It is so wonderful to have her back with us. We all miss Darrin so much. but having Phoebe home has been so healing, especially for Abi, age 6, and Shavonne, age 8.

Phoebe is a" talkative" dog. She has this "sing-song" range where she can sound anywhere like a chihauhua, a beagle, a basset, or a 250 lb. Rotweiller. She uses such a variety of voices to "talk" with us from her kennel in the livingroom. She will be seeing Dr. Gauger this Thursday for her 2 wk post-op visit.

We feel this dog is such a miracle. We want to thank you again for being there that night to care for her. You and your staff are incredible! The care Phoebe received was tremendous! Your wonderful generousity & kindness will never be forgotten. I also want to thank all of your marvelous friends who worked on the fund raising for Phoebe's medical expenses. What an act of kindness! I honestly cannot put all my feelings of gratitude down in words. This act of kindness will help others as well. What an impact!

Abi has been saying since she was 4 yrs old that she wanted to be a doctor who "fixed broken hearts" (e.g. cardiologist). However, since visiting the Emergency Animal Clinic, she now wants to be a vet like you.

Darrin is progressing well. He has such determination to get better. So far they saved the leg. He has a tenacious spirit--kind of like an Airdale on a bear hunt :>) I am so glad! He still has a long rehab in front of him.

I will definitely keep in touch. One of your staff told me about your blog. What a great site! I love to knit, also.

By the way, I could not help myself. I have voiced many times of the wonderful care & phenominal service you & your staff have provided to us to many people.

Darrin, Abi, Shavonne, and Phoebe send their love.

All my best,

Ellyn Smith (Phoebe's mom)

Phoebe Is Home!

We got the news that Phoebe went home today. She's still got a few months of recovery ahead of her, but thanks to all of you the Smiths won't have to worry about any of her expenses this past week. I just downloaded the latest numbers and net donations totaled $5634.38. There are still a few donations yet to clear, but her expenses between the emergency clinic and the orthopod came to about $4200, which means there is a sizable chunk left for the Pet Assistance Fund to help out other pets down the line.

Mrs. Smith called last night while I was working and we had quite a long chat. We were both blown away by the magnitude of support you folks gave. While her husband is still in the hospital, she and her daughters are staying with the in-laws and trying to deal with some post-traumatic stress. She says that Phoebe is going to be an essential part of their own healing process, and having seen the bond they have with her, I have no doubt of it.

I broke down the numbers on donations a bit more, and as of this writing there have been 302 online donations. The mean donation amount was $19.52, and the median amount stands at $15.00. As I mentioned before, most of this amount was raised in small increments. 88.7% of the donations received were for $25 or less. 44.85% of them were for $10 or less. It really goes to show the collective power we have to do a tremendous good if we each give what we can. Whether small or large, every one of you who donated helped to make a huge difference for this family.

Thank you, every single one of you.