Mom Says She Can't Afford Christmas Gifts For Her Kids After Spending $8k On Her Dog
Her dog is like another child to her.
Triangle News The holidays can be a time of joyous celebrations for some families and an incredibly difficult time for others.
A family in the UK had to face not one, but two heartbreaking obstacles this holiday season.
A mother shared that she cannot afford Christmas gifts for her children after paying for the family dog.
The 29-year-old mother of two, Joely Eaton, noticed that her eight-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Buddy, was limping in October.
She decided to bring him to the vet for a CT scan.
“He is a daft dog so I thought he had jumped off the fence funny,” Eaton told The Sun. “The vet said it was probably arthritis due to his age and gave him some anti-inflammatory medication.”
A couple of weeks later, Buddy had to be taken to the vet again.
This time, the CT scan revealed devastating news.
Their dog, Buddy, was diagnosed with cancer.
While on her way to pick up her two sons, Jaeden, 10, and Ollie, 7, from school, Eaton received a call from the vet.
“It’s not good news, it’s a bone tumor,” the vet told Eaton.
He recommended putting Buddy to sleep right then and there.
He advised her if she chose not to, Buddy only had approximately two weeks left.
Eaton refused and wanted to do everything in her power to keep her beloved dog alive.
“I was just like, ‘No’. The boys couldn’t come with me to drop the dog off and then not pick him up. I told him I would come and bring him home,” she said.
“I couldn’t have put him to sleep, he’s like another child to me.”
Eaton sought out a second opinion from a veterinary specialist in Liverpool, where Buddy underwent another CT scan that depicted promising results.
Since the cancer hadn’t spread to the dog’s lungs, his life could still be saved.
However, he would need to have one of his legs amputated and complete six rounds of chemotherapy to stop the spread of cancer.
“I just told them to do it, I don’t care. As long as he is with us, I don’t care,” Eaton said.
While Eaton reports that Buddy appears to be recovering well, his medical bills are posing financial stress.
Eaton, who is a cleaning business owner, managed to pay off the initial veterinary bill but still has a long road ahead of her to pay off Buddy’s CT scans, surgery, and rounds of chemotherapy.
Therefore, she will not have the funds to buy her children Christmas gifts this year.
“I just said to the boys Christmas is not going to be as good as it is every other year,” Eaton said.
Eaton’s mother has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Buddy’s veterinary bills.
“I know times are hard for everyone right now and I really didn't want to do this but I know there is no way they have that kind of money, especially in the current climate,” the page reads.
“Please even if you have a few spare pounds please help us save Buddy they will be forever grateful.”
Although Eaton claims that she “hates asking for help,” this is her reality at the moment, given a sick dog around the holidays.
Fortunately, the mother says that her children took the news well and that they are happy their dog is around for another Christmas.
“My seven-year-old had his birthday recently so he’s not really bothered about Christmas, he’s one of those dead easy, relaxed kids," Eaton said.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.