On October 11, we brought home Cinnamon, a wiggly, cinnamon-colored sweetheart we adopted from a shelter in Texas. Within minutes of having her home, we noticed a huge lump on her belly and contacted the shelter right away. After follow up with our vet, we learned she has stage 3 mammary carcinoma (breast cancer), a type of cancer that is heartbreakingly common in female dogs who were spayed later in life instead of as puppies. She is only about 3–4 years old and otherwise completely healthy, energetic, and obsessed with every human she meets.
Cinnamon and our other dog Echo are absolutely obsessed with each other. They play, cuddle, and follow each other from room to room, and watching them bond has been one of the brightest parts of our year. The thought of them being separated too soon sincerely breaks my heart. Without treatment, Cinnamon’s oncologist estimates she has around a year to live. Even with treatment, the cancer may never fully disappear, but chemotherapy and ongoing monitoring can give her more time and a much better quality of life. We already took the first big step and had the lump removed via surgery last month. The next steps are advanced imaging to see if and where the cancer has spread, followed by chemotherapy and follow up visits to keep her comfortable for as long as possible.
We have had Cinnamon for less than two months, but our pet insurance has already denied coverage by calling her cancer a pre-existing condition, which means we are on the hook for everything out of pocket. At the same time, I am heading into the holidays while starting a new business and producing two shows in the next 120 days. I have always tried to show up for and support my friends’ businesses over the years, but the reality right now is that I cannot do everything at once. I cannot fully fund Cinnamon’s care and also keep every other ball in the air on my own.
We are hoping to raise $1,200 dollars to help cover a piece of Cinnamon’s chemotherapy and imaging. This amount will not erase the full cost, but it will make a very real difference in whether we can move forward with treatment and give her more time feeling like herself. Your contribution, no matter the size, helps turn “we hope we can afford this” into “Cinnamon is getting the care she deserves.”
In return, we will share updates on her appointments, recovery, and the everyday moments you are making possible, from zoomies with Echo to sleepy cuddles on the couch. For friends who know us through our shows and my new business, we will also find ways to thank and recognize supporters at future events. Most of all, your support gives Cinnamon something she cannot ask for herself: more time to live the happy, silly, love-soaked life she so clearly wants to keep living.
