Remember Sammie, the French Bulldog with Tetralogy of Fallot whose owner was looking for resources last month?

I received a very sad piece of news this morning. Sammie’s owner told me that she did not make it through her surgery.

To say that I am sad would be an understatement. I had such high hopes for this little girl – she was so lucky to have responsible, loving owners who did everything they could to help her, including reach out to us here at BHF and then invest in her surgery.

Perhaps the most uplifting thing that can be gleaned from all of this is that Sammie’s owner expressed a desire to stay involved with BHF and be of help to others going through the same thing. This is one of the reasons The Big Hearts Fund exists. It is a widely accepted notion that one of the best ways to overcome a devastating or traumatic event is to take action and help others who are in the same situation. I told Sammie’s owner that I hope he can find some comfort in knowing that he did everything he could possibly do to help her. She was very lucky to have him.

Not only is heart disease hard on the pets who have it, but it’s also really, really hard on their owners. Pets are family members and when they hurt, so do we. This is why our mission is so important – no one should have to go through this alone. Raising awareness about the prevalence and cost of canine and feline heart disease has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of so many.

This little girl’s name is Sammie. She is a 10-month old French Bulldog. And, she has been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect consisting of four abnormalities that affect the heart’s ability to pump enough oxygenated blood to the body.

I received an e-mail from Sammie’s owner on Friday asking if we knew of any surgical interventions available for her, saying that he is “desperate to help her.” It broke my heart. But it also made me excited, because a) Sammie’s owner clearly cares a lot about her, b) he found The Big Hearts Fund online, and c) we can help. Dr. Allen forwarded a promising lead today of a cardiologist in the midwest who has performed several surgeries on Tetralogy of Fallot cases. I also urged Sammie’s owner to contact Colorado State University seeing as they are the only institution on the U.S. who readily offers open heart surgery for dogs and cats. I also encouraged him to contact some of the other great Veterinary Teaching Hospitals right here in the midwest.

Michael if you’re reading this – good luck to you and Sammie. She is very lucky to have you!