Support for “The Buddy’s Fund”

Hi friends & fellow animal lovers,

I thought of creating this little fundraiser as a platform for people to contribute if Buddy has impacted you in some way or another. Additionally, it serves as a meaningful gesture for my 30th birthday (today).

Instead of birthday gifts, any contributions can be directed towards "The Buddy Fund". I thought it was especially apt to do so as Buddy was my 21st (and best!) birthday present from my parents after asking for a dog for.. nearly 21 years.

He has brought so much joy and noise to our lives. Everyone who knows of Buddy hears that he is possibly the loudest Sheltie alive in Singapore, but those who do truly know him understands that he is secretly a gentle and affectionate little boy.

The funds raised will go towards the subsidizing of veterinary expenses incurred for my forever baby boy's (he's 9.5 years old...) upcoming surgery, consultations, tests, and medications, etc. Over the past month, I have already spent ~$1.5k. The surgery itself is estimated to cost $4k-$5k, not including post-operative expenses. As my parents are no longer working, I am personally responsible for all these costs.

Long story short, Buddy has recently been diagnosed with glaucoma, an eye condition that results from increased pressure within the eye, potentially affecting the optic nerve. Unfortunately, the pressure became so severe that Buddy lost complete vision in his right eye in just a couple of days.. More recently, we have now been advised to proceed with enucleation surgery (removal of his eyeball) to alleviate his pain and prevent the possibility of a cancerous tumor in his eye. This sudden news came as a tremendous shock and has been heartbreaking to us all :'-(

The past few weeks have been emotionally exhausting - from riding a roller coaster of uncertainty.

Initially, there was some (false) hope when the prescribed eye drops seemed reduce his eye pressure back to normal levels. This led us to believe that we could leave the right eye untouched, despite the vision loss, and manage the condition with lifelong medication. However, during his most recent check-up on 6th July, his eye pressure shot back up to uncomfortable and unsustainable levels (52mmHg vs. normal levels of 20mmHg). The specialist explained that this level of pressure causes excruciating pain, equivalent to a knife stabbing and twisting in his eye.

Honestly, I'm still struggling to accept our current situation. One of my worst-case scenarios imagined from the beginning was specifically this - removal of the eye.. and yet here I am, living this nightmare. While I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for Buddy with a permanent wink, I don't think I'll ever be emotionally ready for the day I pick him up post-op. Nevertheless, it seems inevitable that I will soon be inducted into the world of one-eyed pirate dogs.

We plan to seek second opinions, although I'm not overly hopeful about alternative procedures, but that will be translating into additional costs as well.

Any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated. Even if you are unable to contribute financially, please help share our story, and send positive thoughts Buddy's way <3 He's been such a fighter throughout this ordeal, and shown incredible resilience by hiding his pain and maintaining his usual self.

If you encounter any issues with the available payment methods, you can also scan my QR codes. We will count this towards the total amount raised as well!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end, and for all your support and kindness.

To follow his journey, you may also find Buddy on Instagram, at @buddytkl

Much love, Joel