Wade Wilson aka Toebeans
One autumn night, I received a tag on Facebook, begging for help to get a scared kitten out of a car at an apartment building. At that time, we were trying not to take on any fosters, because we weren’t financially ready. We had $30 to our name and I paid for almost everything out of my pocket. I couldn’t ignore this plea. It was a rough neighborhood and the young lady was desperate and frantic.
This was the night I met Haley. I arrived, with my husband who insisted on me not going to a rough apartment by myself in the middle of the night.
This is also her story
She was depressed, suicidal, abused, and had been told “there’s nothing more we can do.” The truth was there was nothing more they WOULD do and I helped her fight back. This young lady, who shared her story with me didn‘t care about anything but making sure this kitten survived. I gave her resources for her situation: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
He did not want to be caught
I mean, who does? He came out on his own and ran into the dumpster. By sheer luck, he ran into a box, which I promptly picked up and used to secure him in a waiting carrier. Haley wanted to keep him, but I needed to know he was healthy and would be neutered. With our limited resources we took him to the vet and discovered not only an upper respiratory infection, but ringworm. It was time for me to refine my technique and save his life.
It took 2 months...
With his ringworm clear and his neuter completed, he was ready for forever. Unfortunately forever, only meant until illness stole his life. Toebeans was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis a month later. His mom had been making arrangements to bring him home to Texas and start her new life. The vaccine he received triggered the fatal reaction and he was humanely released from his pain 12 hours later. My husband and I paid to have him cremated for her, I stayed with her while she said goodbye and made sure someone was home with her that evening to make sure she was ok. This was the end of his story, but the tragic beginning to hers. I have now watched Haley pull herself out of depression and work to achieve her goals. She is a survivor and has taken her unconditional love and kindness and turned it into a superpower. She now works hard to rehabilitate animals who need her, she makes sure they are healthy, and she finds them homes. She is my first student and she has become her own hero.
FIP is no longer a death sentence. No official treatment exists, however UC Davis and many others have found a way to fight back and live.
