Hunter

Like many other BHF applicants, Hunter’s story is that of a young puppy with a PDA.

One day after Hunter came to live with us, his Dr. sadly told us that Hunter has a heart murmur and recommended we see a vet cardiologist. The closest cardiologist is 1.5 hours away, but our family was determined to have a better understanding of what was happening with him and what we could do to help.

After running all the tests the cardiologist determined that Hunter has Patent Ductus Arteriosis, or PDA for short. We had many questions, and we learned that not only is the left side of Hunter’s heart already three times larger than the right, without surgery, Hunter will soon go into congestive heart failure and die.

Hunter’s cardiologist recommended a surgery site that is two hours from our home. After meeting with the surgeons, it was determined that while the surgery to fix the PDA was relatively simple (as simple as any heart surgery could be), it would also be expensive.

Hunter’s dad works at an automotive rental business and his mom stays home with the kids while teaching pilates/volunteering part time. We are unable to afford the $2,300 surgery Hunter needs to save his life.

Even after learning all of this, our family is determined to find a way to help him. We love Hunter and we want to be able to provide him with the best life possible.

Not only were we devastated by the news, but Hunter’s older brother and sister, 6.5 year old twins, are afraid that if they are unable to raise the money for the surgery, Hunter will die. The kids wake up happier in the morning looking forward to seeing him. They can’t wait to get home from school. They are even working on their responsibility by helping with dog related tasks. The list of positive things Hunter has brought to our lives could go on and we are hoping to be able to add to this list for many years to come. Fortunately the cardiologist told us about The Big Hearts Fund, who has been amazing in helping us get Hunter the care he needs.

Even with the grant from BHF, we are still short of the total surgery cost. We are hoping that your generosity will help us be able to save the life of a sweet dog we now can’t imagine our lives without. We are unable to put our family into financial debt but are hoping to be able to save Hunter through the kindness of others.