I VISITED LILA AND WITNESSED HER SURGERY! SHE REALLY NEEDS US…






I felt badly that the Bucket Fund this month for the mini donkey, Lila – who was rescued from a feedlot with the horrible sarcoid that was subsequently cut open (making it way worse) by a bad vet and then brought to UC Davis for help trying to save her life – was only limping along.

(You can read Lila’s story here.)

Since UC Davis is about an hour and a half away, I decided to pay her a visit.  I figured taking pics and hanging out with her might help make her story more intimate and perhaps boost her donations.

Friday was my day off, so I went!

UPON ARRIVAL

Upon arrival at UC Davis, I was told that Lila was being prepped for more Cisplatin injections.  And, if I wanted, I could watch…

Of course I wanted to watch!

I’m going to tell you right now, what I saw broke my heart…

It was great to see the vets and techs surrounding little Lila and helping her.  What broke my heart was that this tiny, 4 year-old little donkey was this messed up – by a human hand.

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This was the scene when I arrived. The vets were getting ready to administer Cisplatin injections into the mass above and below her eye. The mass grew substantially due to a vet who cut open the sarcoid tumor while trying to remove it – thus encouraging it to grow more rapidly and overtaking  her eye.

Seeing her laying there with that huge, overgrown, nasty tumor covering her eye made me want to count up all of my cash (of which I had little) and take off all of my jewelry (I had none) and hand it to UC Davis and say – do whatever it takes!

So, I’m just going to put up the donation button right here because there is no amount that can bring this girl’s eye back to normal… but we can help her fight!

  If you receive this post via email, click here to donate! 

Seeing that nasty tumor take over the eye on this very young mini donk made me want to hand over all of my belongings and yell, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES - JUST FIX HER!

Seeing that nasty tumor take over the eye on this very young mini donk made me want to hand over all of my belongings and yell, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES – JUST FIX HER!

The specialist skillfully injects the chemo into the tumors above and below her eye.

The UC Davis specialist skillfully injects the chemo into the tumors above and below her eye.

I WISH

As I sat there, outside the surgery room – watching… I kept thinking, “If only they knew.  If only they all knew how many people were pulling for this little donkey.  If they could see us all standing in the dark hallways of the concrete building – spreading out far and wide – maybe all of our energy could lift up everyone in that room – stand on our shoulders…”

I wanted them to know how much we cared.

So, I told them.

I told them that many, many strangers were embracing this little one… and that we would help with as much as we could.

All the green scrubbed people looked at me as if I was an alien.

??

“Strangers? Strangers care?”

“Yes,” I said, “they do.”

A PHOTO JOURNAL OF MY VISIT WITH LILA

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As I waited for Lila to recover from surgery, I walked around…  UC DAVIS Large Animal Veterinary School has grown and is very, very impressive. There were building after building of surgeries and recovery rooms… I couldn’t help but feel empathy for all the trucks and trailer owners in the lots. I knew they had rushed their horses here in the throws of emergencies. As I snapped this shot, another trailer was pulling in…

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The barns were full, and immaculate.

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I was called and told that Lila was up and around and that I could visit her. When I entered her stall, she was sniffing around for food.

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When I called to her, she did the typical donkey move and showed me her favorite spot to scratch. My Norma does this all the time.

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I went up to her head to see her eye… She still had her catheter in. I was wearing gloves because of the Chemo. She let me rub her neck on her blind side easily.  She was very sweet and trusting – especially after all she has gone through.

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Lila heard the tech coming with her food! (Don’t worry, she lives in a nice, open paddock at the boarding facility nearby… she is only in the hospital for today to have her treatment.)

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Lila got her food but she wanted me to pet her so she backed into me.

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Soon the Tech came in to remove her catheter. Poor Lila wanted NOTHING to do with that process. Poor girl.

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Lila put herself in the corner, trying to avoid the Tech. Poor girl.

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Once the Tech had removed the catheter, I rubbed her neck.

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And she finally settled into eating…

If you receive this post via email, click here to donate!

The people at her boarding facility say she brays twice a day - to make sure no one misses breakfast or dinner!  They love her and she has stolen their hearts!

The people at her boarding facility say she brays twice a day – to make sure no one misses breakfast or dinner! They love her and she has stolen their hearts!

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HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!



3 comments have been posted...

  1. Margaret Lockyear

    I am standing here weeping for this darling minidonk. I breed these humble gentle donkeys & I can barely believe they could end up on a feedlot. How could that happen? I am a long way away (Australia); I wish I could visit her. I will donate. Will anything be done to bring to book the dreadful vet who made such a mess of her eye? Please save her. Please please, save her & get her the best home – where she will never again be so ill- treated. I wish I could be there to care for her. I am simply heart-broken.

  2. Nicole

    Ugggghh, this story makes me so mad. And Dawn, I am glad you put a push behind it. I have been thinking about sending some money for days. And yet, I also feel that the vet that butchered little Lila needs to be brought to justice. He should be paying for the treatment. I hope the owner of little Lila is suing his butt.
    Nevertheless, of course it is “all about the little donkey” and I am donating $100.
    Thanks Dawn.

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