Hi, all.  Sorry I haven't been around much; my free time is minimal, and
I can barely keep up with my household duties these days, let alone my
email or internet stuff.  I have been working 6 days a week, no day less
than 10 hours, most weeks.  I really do miss you all, though... I have
been lurking here and there, but not too much.
 
However, I'm hoping you're all still out there and may be able to help
me.  I do a lot of contributing throughout the year to individuals and
shelters in need, and I even work two days a week in an animal shelter's
spay and neuter and medical clinic (albeit it's not a ferret shelter) in
my capacity as a vet tech.  Not trying to toot my own horn, but setting
the background...
 
I am asking now for a little help of my own.  In the space of the
last year, I have paid for two insulinoma surgeries and their ensuing
treatments, three adrenalectomies, and I currently have two more
adrenalectomies upcoming; I have also totalled two cars (I swear I'm
a good driver-just bad luck this year!) and taken a fall down a set of
13 stairs.  Needless to say, I have spent a lot of money this year, in
addition to all my regular donations to shelters, rescues and human
charities, all on a vet tech's salary.
 
I am currently caring for a very adrenal little girl whom I have named
Holly.  We believe she is only about 2.5 years old or so.  She was dumped
outside of another local shelter (the Worcester Animal Rescue League)
near a busy street, without even a box-they just set her loose.  Okay,
she may have "gotten out", but no one was looking for her in our area,
and it seems a little too coincidental that she is adrenal.  We had no
responses to our searches for her owners.
 
She was found a few weeks ago wandering in the Rescue League's
neighborhood, with raw, red, swollen, hole-filled, scabbed feet; she was
filthy, her ears were gross and full of mites, her nails were too long,
she's half-naked and she has one of the biggest vulvas I've ever seen.
 
Despite this, she is a very sweet little girl and spunky.  I am trying to
get my hubby to let me keep her-she has become very attached to me (and I
to her)-she follows me everywhere, chitters to me constantly, climbs into
my bed at night and spends 15 minutes cleaning my ankles and feet before
curling up between and over them at night, if not on my chest or in the
crook of my knees.  She climbs on top of my head when I get home from
work and can't get enough of me when I've been away.  She is a little
love bug, but also tears after bell toys and plays tag, stashes things.
She deserves better than what she was dealt.
 
She is now clean, though still very bald; ear-mite-free, well-fed and
looking pretty good.  She is happy and as healthy as she can be with her
disease.  She has had a lupron injection in the meantime, but really
needs adrenal surgery.  I will definitely do it and will pay for it, but
if anyone can find it in their hearts to help us out, I would greatly
appreciate it.  She is a rescue, as are most of my guys, but I will do
what I have to to get her what she needs.
 
I would not ordinarily ask for help for a ferret I am considering
keeping, but like I said, I have two others in line, too, on top of a
tough year of surgery.  The timing is also making me think she was
brought to me for a reason-my Shannon died a year ago Oct. 1 from
complications from a cancerous adrenal tumor post-adrenalectomy, and in
some ways, this little girl reminds me of her (she chittered to herself
and was a perpetual groomer, too; she, too, was found just wandering
around in Worcester).  Holly was obviously in need of someone who would
lavish attention on her, and the WARL called me because I have helped
them find homes for several other ferrets in the past, even adrenal ones.
 
If you'd like to help Holly, you can email me privately or send donations
in her name care of:
 
VCA Northboro Animal Hospital
286 West Main Street
Northboro, MA 01532
Attn:  Account of Shawn and April Campbell/"Holly"
 
Dr. Melissa Dudley, whom I work with, is the amazing surgeon there who
does ferret surgeries.  (In fact, she did Marley's partial pancreatectomy
when I was still a vet tech elsewhere, and Melissa is the reason I wanted
to work at VCA Northboro!).
 
I assure you that what goes around, comes around, and I will continue
my personal efforts to fundraise and improve the lives of fuzzy kids
everywhere.
 
Thanks for any help,
 
April Armstrong Campbell and the Auburn Five (Marley, Nicodemus,
Finnegan, Cora and Bandit; with Shannon, Renate and Sparkle form the
Bridge), and Holly
[Posted in FML issue 4656]