Senior dog beats tumor, fur mom thanks Good Samaritan for financial aid
Fur parent Mary Gracelyn Galang thanks Good Samaritan for helping her senior dog Pepper beat a mammary tumor. Photos courtesy of Mary Gracelyn Galang/Facebook. Graphics: Trina Cesario/黑料社 trainee
Fur parent Mary Gracelyn Galang from Guagua, Pampanga, was on cloud nine after her 11-year-old Shih Tzu, Pepper, bravely won its battle with a mammary tumor thanks to a Good Samaritan who made the surgery possible.
In an interview with 黑料社, Galang recounted that she spotted a few bumps on Pepper’s stomach back in September. Still, she couldn’t get her fur baby checked because of her ongoing heart-related medications.
The bump did not fade away and instead swelled as months went by. Because of Pepper’s old age, Galang felt afraid to admit it for surgery at a veterinary clinic. She could only provide her time with Pepper by showering the fur baby with love and care.
However, Pepper’s swollen bump popped on Feb. 15 and left a huge wound. Galang then saw Pepper’s determination to live on when her fur baby remained cheerful despite its worsened condition.
“I saw how determined she was to live. Even though she had something like that, she was still high-spirited and never showed signs of being lethargic. That’s when I decided to fight for her. I had fought for her,” Galang said in Filipino.
Article continues after this advertisementGalang knew that having Pepper undergo surgery was costly, so she tried posting about Pepper’s condition on various Facebook groups to ask for financial help. Fortunately she met a netizen who offered to shoulder around 75% of the medical bills.
Article continues after this advertisement“I was a bit hesitant because I thought it might be a scammer or a hacker, but I still gave it a try and messaged them… After our talk, they said they would send money for Pepper’s bills, and I immediately took her to the hospital,” Galang recalled in Filipino.
On Feb. 20, Pepper finally had its surgery after a series of tests to make sure it could withstand the procedure. Despite the initial reservations about its age, Galang was relieved that Pepper encountered no complications during the surgery.
Mary Gracelyn Galang poses for a photo with Pepper as her fur baby finally returns home from the veterinary clinic. Photos courtesy of Mary Gracelyn Galang/Facebook
“I am so amazed by her — all of us, actually. We are inspired by how brave and strong she was as if nothing had happened… No matter what she feels, she fights because maybe she knows many people love her,” Galang expressed in Filipino.
On March 2, Galang finally brought Pepper home after healing from her surgical stitches. She noted that there were still minor issues with her fur baby’s blood status, but they will continue her medications and check-ups for her full recovery.
Seeing how Pepper’s condition improved, Galang thanked the Good Samaritan who made her fur baby’s healing journey possible. She said she couldn’t believe she met them by chance and helped her improve Pepper’s life.
“I still can’t believe it until now. They told me they hadn’t looked at the group in a long time. But when they checked the group, they saw my post about Pepper. It really feels like fate and a blessing from the Lord that we met. Actually, I’m the third person they helped,” Galang said in Filipino.
Galang also extended her gratitude to those who fought along for Pepper, from her friends who donated money for the medical bills to the veterinarians and staff for caring for Pepper and not giving up on her fur baby.
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