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DONATE TO MURRAY'S FUND SUCCESS STORIES BECOME A BENEFICIARY ACS DOGSWALK

The Miracles of Murray's Fund Cancer bites...we bite back! "Pup Pup" Platt "Murray's Fund" -- Just hearing the words gives us hope and joy... The day our special little man "Pup Pup" was diagnosed with lymphoma was a dark day. The words stung and tears flowed. It was so sudden, and we thought ours days with our crazy man were over. The thought of another week, let alone an extended period of time with a great quality of life, was not even imaginable. After consulting with the amazing Dr McFadden at CVS we had hope something could be done and decided to proceed with chemo. During the process we had a few other setbacks, and the costs were getting to be too much for us to handle at that time. Again we felt we would lose our beloved child. At our greatest time of need, Murray's Fund came to the rescue and we did not have to decide between paying our bills and our son's life. We cannot say how much this extra time with Pup Pup means to us, it is truly special. While we will now get upset with him for jumping and running like a wild child....we would not have it any other way! Thank you Murray's Fund for all the hope, joy, and love you bring! "Murphy" Baxter Murphy is our three and a half year old daughter and just happens to have four legs and is called by some a Boston Terrier. She developed a swelling on her jaw, which we, and our local Vet first thought was a bee sting or an allergy. Treating it with an ointment did not help and the swelling was now into her lower gum. The next step was to x-ray the area. That is when the Doctor Blake Peurifoy told us that Murphy's problem appeared to be, "HEMARTOMA OF ROSTRAL MANDIBLE". That I did not understand but he showed on me the x-ray where her jawbone had deteriorated to the point that some of her teeth were barely attached. He referred us to Carolina Veterinary Specialist Medical Center and told us Murphy may have to have surgery. I prayed to God to be with us and intervene so Murphy may not need surgery but if she did to please provide for us a way to pay for the medical treatment that she would need. At Carolina Vet Specialist we were greeted by Dr. Claudia McFadden. She looked at the x-rays and examined Murphy. Sadly she came up with the same diagnoses as Dr. Peurifoy. She explained what would happen to Murphy with and without the surgery. Murphy is our baby girl and I want the best for her but I explained to Dr. McFadden that I needed to know the cost involved before I could give the OK for the surgery. My wife and I are on a fixed income and can not commit to something that we can not pay for. Her reply, wait here I'll be right back. In a few minutes she returned with Lisa Jones, (Hospital Director). Lisa explained to us a program called "MURRAY'S FUND", named after a cute little dog named Murray. She brought happiness to Claudia & Bryan McFadden in a lot of ways even though she lost a leg to cancer. Murray's fund is for the benefit of owners who have pets with cancer but do not have the financial resources to treat their pet. I filled out the required forms and gave them to Lisa and we waited. A few minutes later our gloom was interrupted, Lisa, and Claudia came back into the room smiling and giving us hugs. They told us that Murray's fund would assist us in paying for Murphy's surgery. Our prayers were answered, thank you Jesus. Murphy had her surgery appointment at 8am. She spent the night there and we picked her up the next afternoon. She wasn't feeling too spiffy when we picked her up but that was to be expected. What really broke my heart was after a few days she wanted to do everything she did prior to her surgery but could not. She used to meet me at the door then go get a toy out of her toy box so we could play fetch and tug of war. Now she can't pick up her toys. We hid them hoping she would forget. In two weeks we took Murphy back to Carolina Veterinary specialist to get her stitches taken out. Dr. Laura Dvorak who did Murphy's surgery, checked her over and said she was doing fine. She also said we could let her have small soft toys now. "Hot Dog". Although Murphy lost 90% of her jaw, she had little trouble learning to eat and drink. Best of all we can now play fetch and tug of war. There are not enough words to say how grateful we are to every one at Carolina Veterinary Specialist Medical Center for their kindness and dedication to their jobs. We are proud that they have pictures of Murphy on their office walls. Jerry & Ann Baxter "Angel" Byrd In Loving Memory of Angel Byrd This letter is to say thanks a million to CVS. My thoughts go out to the many people I don't know for being so thoughtful of loving pets. To be so generous in giving to the Murray's Fund. The Murray's Fund was a blessing to me and my special little Angel. The Murray's Fund gave Angel and me extra time to prepare for our separation. I want to thank Claudia McFadden with all heart for the time she spent with me and Angel. During the months that Angel received Chemo, the staff of CVS was so kind and caring, and took extra care to show us we were special. A special thank you to Lisa Jones for helping in getting assistance from the Murray's Fund. Lisa became a close friend to me and Angel and that will never be forgotten. Thank you to CVS and the Murray's Fund. You all will forever have a special place in my heart, right with Angel. Thanks, Ms. Susan C. Byrd "My Treasured Friend" I lost a treasured friend. The little dog that used to lie Her gently head upon my lap, And share her silent thought With me. She'll come no longer to my call; Retrieve no more her favorite ball. A voice no greater than my own Has called her name to his Throne. Although my eyes are filled with tears, I thank him for the many years he Let her spend down here with me And for her love and loyalty. Now when it's time for me to go And join her there this much I know: I will not fear the transient dark, For Angel will greet me with bark. Susan Byrd "Sammy" Cooper Sammy's Story I remember that cool February morning in 2002 in perfect detail. I was wandering through the rows and rows of junk at the local flea market when I stumbled upon a cage full of fuzzy little puppies. They were all so cute and lovable but one caught my eye. He quietly sat in the cage waiting for me to notice him over the commotion of all the others jumping and barking. I picked him up and he snuggled into my neck and went to sleep. I was completely in love, I took him home right then. Sammy was a great puppy and grew into an even greater dog. He has been my constant companion on vacations, walks, and even trips to the grocery store. One Sunday night in February 2008, I was petting Sammy and noticed a small, hard lump on his side. I knew it was something to be concerned about. The next day Sammy was at the vet undergoing surgery to remove the lump. Dr. Mervin at Mercy Animal Hospital did a great job removing the mass but soon we got the dreaded news. Sammy had a very aggressive form of Spindle Cell Sarcoma. I was referred to Dr. McFadden at Carolina Vet Specialists. Sammy went in that week and had his first chemo treatment. With the cost of the surgery and the first chemo treatment, I did not know how I was going to afford to continue. It was never an option not to pursue chemo, I just had to figure out how to do it. I soon found the Murray's Fund website and knew that was the answer to my prayers. Sammy has been known to be "difficult" at the vet but he was a perfect angel for Dr. McFadden. I knew she must be a special person. Without the help of Murray's Fund and Dr. Mc Fadden, Sammy would not be here today. Now, Sammy is completely healthy and feels great. He loves to play fetch in the backyard with his three "brothers" and loves to go for rides. Everytime I pet or kiss Sammy, I thank God for Dr. McFadden and Murray's Fund. "Penny" Perkins I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have donated to the MURRAY'S FUND. My name is Susan and I could tell you so much about my wonderful pet, BUT...I hope that my story will show you how you are helping PEOPLE and not just their pets! In the fall of 2007 I lost my ability to work or function well due to complications from a spinal cord injury. So also I lost my career, my home, my vitality and my hope. I lost my human partner and my only child married and moved away. I was alone with PENNY, my 7 year old, 90 pound Doberman mix, whom I had adopted at 3 pounds... It is now 16 months later and due to the backlog of disability cases, I live in a room with a yard and I struggle with pain, medical care, depression and mere survival. With all that I had lost, PENNY was my comfort, my companion, AND the glue that kept me from falling completely apart and giving up. And she still is because, instead of suffering organ failure and leaving me NOW (just 6 weeks after being diagnosed with lymphoma), she is in remission and Dr. McFadden and I can hope for one year more of her love, protection and goofy playful affection. And only because of wonderful people whose donations will enable me to continue treatment for continued remission, and with a quality life of acting and feeling fine! How precious every extra day is to me and she keeps my spirits up. I thank you and may you be blessed for letting me keep her Goofy LOVE! Sincerely, Susan P. North Carolina "Nikko" Munyan We inherited a Rottweiler puppy from our daughter. She and a friend purchased Nikko against our recommendation. We knew about the costs of pets, they did not. After a couple of apartment moves, Nikko became our "child". At 6 months he was 60lbs, 7 months-70lbs, 9 months-90lbs. And when he was 18 months he settled in at +140lbs - bigger than a miniature horse! We have raised Labs, Setters, Poodles, but never in our wildest dreams would we have selected a Rottie. Bill said I've always been able roll up a newspaper and crawl under a table to talk to my dog regarding any behavior issue, but I never had the dog challenge me like this behemoth with a big row of teeth. I could have hit him upside the head with a 2x4 and the only thing he would say after he shrugged it off is "You had the first shot, now it's my turn." It took us a year to learn the differences between Nikko challenging our authority and just "grumbling" and wanting to play; learning what his big nose was doing by "herding" us around. We finally realized that our two-hundred-toothed-monster" was the brightest, most loving, family protector we could ever imagine!! And 140 lbs of unconditional love and lap-dog at that!! We were having so much fun with Nikko until February 2009 when we found lumps (like childhood mumps) in his neck. Our vet's diagnosis was not good and he referred us to Carolina Veterinary Specialists where we met Dr. Claudia McFadden. She confirmed the diagnosis, Canine Lymphoma. But how can this be? Nikko had just turned four in January. Surely there was a mistake??? Nope. No mistake. Dr. McFadden outlined our treatment options and we began chemo immediately. And to our great delight Nikko responded well. And because life typically isn't fair, Bill had been "let go" from his 21 year position as an architect and specifier. With no job prospects on the horizon due to the economy, we were faced with the decision of discontinuing Nikko's treatments. Then a miracle happened, and, again, her name is Dr. Claudia McFadden. She recommended that we apply to be a recipient of Murray's Fund. We were approved and thankfully, Nikko was able continued his chemo treatments. It's now the end of September and we're still having fun with this very big dog, our protector and friend in our lives. We know he is on borrowed time thanks to Murray's Fund. We're taking advantage of it and loving every minute of his company and the devotion he has for us. There are very few things in life that match the sweetness of 12-inch dog licks, a cold runny nose in the morning reminding us that it's time to go out, and watching Nikko do the happy wiggle-butt dance!!. Just for one more day. Just for one more day. Jennie and Bill Munyan "Bambi" Alabassi The year was 1999 and we were new to Charlotte from New York City and having brought our rescued strays with us, we wanted to get a dog but were waiting to close on our house. I was at the neighborhood veterinarian for one of my cats one March day and earlier someone found Bambi wandering the streets and brought her in but the office had called Animal Control to pick her up. She was so frightened she was trembling and shaking. She was about one year old and had very recently had puppies as she still had milk, but was so thin her ribs showed. I took one look in those sad DOE eyes and knew she needed a home NOW. I told the receptionist to call Animal Control NOW and tell them "she's not going", as I knew what her fate would be. I had the Doctor check her out and named her BAMBI. Once she was home we realized she had been beaten, abused and had probably lived outdoors her whole short life. Whenever we used a mop or broom, she cowered expecting to be beaten and when we tried to hug and kiss her or came close, she seemed to expect a kick. So sad to think this sweet dog lived like this, it broke our hearts. Slowly she came to realize she was now safe and so wanted and loved and she had a FOREVER home with daily meals, dog treats, toys and her own bed. What has always amazed us is her capacity to love and trust humans in spite of her suffering at their hands. Bambi brought a whole new dimension of love and joy to our lives, and we doted on her. We followed up with the usual shots, spay, etc., for her and always took her on short trips and vacations with us. In 2003 we noticed an external cyst on her chest so we had it tested and it was benign but the doctor kept a watch on it and in 2005 it had grown and needed to be removed. Dr. Long, Bambi's doctor at South Park Animal Hospital did a great job removing the cyst which was cancerous and recommended we see an Oncologist to make sure the cancer had not spread. She said she had heard "great things" about the new Oncologist at Carolina Veterinary Specialists. Her name was Dr. Claudia McFadden and Bambi would be her first referral to her and would we give her some feedback after our visit. After various tests Dr. McFadden diagnosed Bambi with Stage 2 cancer that had internalized past the bone and conferred with her colleague and cancer surgeon Dr. Dvorak who said she could get "it all out" and Bambi would be as good as new and would not need chemo. The only problem was Bambi was now overweight and it would be hard to close the incision so she would have to graft skin and shortly after she would graft over the incision to close it. Bambi had the two surgeries and was cancer free but the skin grafting required daily bandage changes. Bambi loved going daily as the staff fell in love with her and fussed with her giving her different colored bandages and different designs everyday and did she strut their handiwork. Dr. Dvorak had suggested a diet for Bambi and boy did it work and when the time came for the grafting, she did not need it as her losing weight caused her own body to close the incision. We had our Bambi back healthy and since she was only now 7 years old, counted on many more years with her. We told Dr. Long at South Park Animal Hospital about the wonderful care and expertise at CVS and to not hesitate to recommend this duo of McFadden/Dvorak. Fast forward to 2009 and another cyst and after surgery at South Park, another referral to Dr. McFadden to see if it had spread internally. After tests, Bambi again had Stage 2 cancer and again surgery was recommended to remove the cancer. Also, during testing it came to light that Bambi had high calcium blood levels and a para thyroid gland should be removed at the same time. This time around, our financial circumstances had changed drastically since my husband had been out of work for the last 14 months and we had incurred substantial debt to survive. As he had just started a job, I asked if the surgeries had to be done immediately as we did not want to incur more debt till we could somewhat catch up. I explained our situation to Dr. McFadden and she felt the surgeries should be done ASAP. A few days later she called and said "Murray's Fund" would help alleviate the cost and explained what Murray's Fund was, did and how it came to be and how dear to her heart it was. So with the help of Murray's Fund and the kind help at Carolina Veterinary Specialists, payment was arranged and Bambi had her surgeries in July 2009 by Dr. Dvorak and was CANCER FREE once again. The para thyroid surgery did not bring down her blood calcium levels as hoped for but Dr. McFadden suggested daily doses of Fosamax and continued monitoring of her blood levels. We have been doing just that and slowly the levels are coming down. Thanks to the dynamic team of Dr. McFadden and Dr. Dvorak, Bambi is a TWO TIME CANCER SURVIVOR and to quote Dr. McFadden "BAMBI IS A LEGEND AROUND HERE". To know Bambi is to love her and we look forward to loving her for a long time to come. That gift of time would not have been possible without the care of her dedicated doctor team and their staff. As for the financial help from Murray's Fund, Bambi and her family say "thanks" but will "pay it forward by helping to raise money so Murray's Fund can continue to help other animal and their families. Thanks for letting us tell this story. Sincerely, Bambi, Omar and Rose Ann Alabbasi "Maggie" McDaniels I'm going to be as direct as I possibly can. Dr. McFadden and Murray's Fund saved my little girl Maggie's life and mine as well. I will forever be grateful to Dr. McFadden for her compassion, understanding and generosity and I will forever be grateful to those who have made the donations to Murray's Fund that have allowed lives to be extended and saved. In March of this year, I was at a really low point in my life. I had been laid off from my job the previous year, unemployment had run out, I had lost my Dad due to a massive stroke, I had to place my Mom in an assisted care facility due to Alzheimer's (she absolutely refused to be a "burden" to any of her kids) and was reliving the loss of my beloved Buddy who had died suddenly and unexpectedly the previous March. Then one afternoon I noticed Maggie was acting lethargic and I couldn't get her to eat or drink; she'd been fine that morning. I rushed her to my vet who diagnosed her with a tumor growing from her spleen that had started to bleed. Dr. McNamee referred me to CVS where emergency surgery was performed and then I got the dreaded biopsy results a week later - it was lymphoma. I was totally devastated and didn't think I could survive another loss. I sunk further into despair as I realized I would not be able to save my daughter's life. I simply did not have the money to pay for her chemo. I almost didn't keep my initial appointment with Dr. McFadden. The only thing getting me out of bed in the morning was taking care of my 5 fur babies and I felt like I would be wasting Dr. McFadden's time since I knew my financial situation wouldn't allow me to proceed. But I did keep that appointment and Dr. McFadden was so wonderful, gracious and caring. She told me about Murray's Fund and after qualifying, Maggie began her chemo and in fact, just graduated last week. Maggie is still in remission and happily spends her days playing with me and her siblings (hide and seek is her favorite), hiking with us in the woods or fields, tearing the stuffing out of her toys, eating gustily, sleeping, getting petted and rubbed and of course giving kisses! She's also become much more independent and inquisitive - she knows she was given a new lease on life and is enjoying every moment of it!! The attached picture of Maggie was taken halfway through her chemo - you'd never know she was sick the way she was running through the fields! A sincere and heartfelt "Thank You!" to everyone who has donated funds and/or time to Murray's Fund. You not only have extended my precious girl's life but literally saved my sanity as well. To Dr. Claudia McFadden: I will never be able to thank you enough for all you have done for my family and I feel blessed to have met you and to have you as Maggie and Trouble's doctor. You are a rare gift that changes lives for the better and we love you! "Matilda Rose" Wimer This is the story of my Matilda Rose and how the Murray's Fund came to be in our lives. It was December 2008 and Matilda Rose had her yearly check up with Dr. Marty Davis, Monroe Road Animal Hospital. Dr. Davis discovered a swollen lump in her belly. An ultrasound was performed with no results. A one month appointment was made to reevaluate. This visit Matilda Rose's tumor was discovered and surgery was performed three days later. Matilda Rose had a one pound tumor removed along with her spleen. The tumor tested positive for splenic hemangiosacroma. After her staples were removed 10 days later, we were referred to Dr. Claudia McFadden. Upon meeting Dr. McFadden, she showed us such kindness, compassion and patience on a very difficult day. Matilda Rose's initial diagnostic tests showed NO signs of recurrence and her chemotherapy began that day! Matilda Rose passed thru her chemotherapy treatments with flying colors. One would never have known she was undergoing any form of treatment. I am thrilled to say it is now 10 months later and Matilda Rose is still the strong, energetic and lovable little girl she has always been! Matilda Rose's post chemotherapy treatment consists of taking her daily "cocktail" of pills with monthly visits to CVS and Dr. McFadden. In closing, Matilda Rose recently celebrated her 13th birthday with family. What a truly special celebration this was, indeed! Matilda Rose and I are ever so grateful to Dr. Claudia McFadden, Lisa Jones, the staff of CVS and of course, the Murray's Fund! I am blessed every day with having my little Matilda Rose by my side. She is more my baby, than my dog. I guess this is why she, too, doesn't realize she is a little dog! I love her dearly. All of these pets and their owners benefited from the generous donations made to Murray's Fund at Carolina Veterinary Specialists.

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