Bella

Bella’s mom is a US Army instructor with two teenage children living at home on a single salary. Bella’s family instantly fell in love with her adorable lab/hound mix face and sweet, sunny disposition.

When Bella was 12 weeks old, she was diagnosed with PDA, or Patent Ductus Arteriosis – a condition where the ductus arteriosis, a fetal blood vessel that normally closes after birth, remains open after birth. Animals who are born with a PDA normally do not live to see the age of one year if the condition is not corrected.

Luckily, curative surgery called a “PDA Closure or PDA Occlusion” is available in veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, it normally costs anywhere from $2,000 – $5,000 dollars. Aside from the usual living expenses, Bella’s mom was also paying off significant student loan debt. She found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Desperate to find help and unwilling to give up, Bella’s mom found The Big Hearts Fund through an internet search. We were able to grant Bella $1,000 which helped Bella’s family be able to afford her surgery.

Bella underwent surgery on October 8th, 2013 and did magnificently. She now lives at home happily with her family, looking forward to a long, comfortable life full of love.