Ellie's Story
I was just a baby, five months old, when I was picked up from the street by the caring people at the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. I could hardly breathe, and was terribly shy. I was then taken to the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals (SICSA) where they helped me get better so I could find a forever home.
Less than an hour after they cleared me for adoption I was introduced to my new family. They didn’t know it at the time, but I chose them. As scared as I was, I knew these were the people for me. I was so excited, I overcame my hesitancy and jumped on their laps, smothering them with kisses so they would know how much I wanted to go home with them.
Sadly, after just a few weeks, I got sick again and ended up in the Emergency Room. The doctor said I had pneumonia and gave me some medicine to make me better.
Unfortunately, within the next two months, I got pneumonia twice more. A radiologist suggested I might have a rare lung condition. A lung biopsy proved his diagnosis to be true. I felt so bad – both health-wise and because I knew how the news devastated my forever family.
To date I have been worked on by many doctors and healthcare professionals. I am so lucky that my family is able to afford my care. I have seen the sadness in the eyes of other pets I have encountered when their families cannot afford the treatment they need to make them well. These families often have to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender or euthanize their beloved companion.
It is because my family and I have been so blessed that we have started Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund in the hope we can help families with sick or injured pets get the medical treatment they need.
A NOTE FROM ELLIE’S FAMILY
Our companion animals often give us some of the most authentic, heartfelt experiences of our lives. They are an integral part of our families. No one should be put in a position where they must decide to surrender a member of their family! Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund has been established as a legacy tribute to Ellie, in recognition of the special bond we shared.
– Juli B.
Juli B. & Ellie
My life would’ve been so different without Ellie. We shared a bond of surviving life-threatening illness and dealing daily with the physical challenges that come with that. Every day my relationship with Ellie reminded me to make the most of the present moment! She was so ready to experience life and connect with me, no matter how she was feeling physically that day. She taught me that I have something to offer, even on days when I don’t feel whole. She showed me that life is good and she invited me to live it more fully. I couldn't help but laugh when I arrive home and am greeted by my excited pup, shaking a toy in her mouth and growling her fiercest greeting.
Juli B. & Bug
Several years ago I suffered a brain infection, that resulted in weeks of hospitalization. When I came home, paralyzed on one side & immobile, I was despondent & unsure of what the future held. My cat, Bug, sensed the depth of my distress & for weeks, spent all day lying on my chest purring. He brought the first joy back into my life/ the first glimmer of hope. I owe him my life.
