Raleigh continues to wait.

A picture of the special boy....he was tired out from chasing a
chipmunk...the chipmunk lost, I didn't know what was hanging out of
Raleigh's mouth but soon found out, I must say he was very proud of
himself.
Raleigh is doing very well, he continues to eat 3 to 4 meals a day and
with the hot weather we are experiencing in the Northeast I freeze a
bowl of water which I then put outside in the shade and Raleigh and
Flynn then have a very large Popsicle to enjoy! The weather has slowed
Raleigh down somewhat, he stays out for a short time and then he makes
himself quite comfortable in the air conditioned house sleeping in his
favorite chair...smart boy!
That's the latest here in CT., we are anxiously awaiting word from Penn
State as to when they can see Raleigh which we hope will be very soon.
Thank you for caring and loving this special boy.

Surgery not completed today

Raleigh is in ICU, but unfortunately they were unable to find the shunt. The Dr said they had given him as much contrast dye that Raleigh could take in one day. So, he will have to go back next week, and they will have to go in thru the abdomen.

Wendy will be able to pick him up in the morning if he has been drinking or eating and not running fever. She said if they do not let him go she is going to see him. This has been so hard on Wendy and Flynn, so keep them in your thoughts and prayers.


Deb McWhorter

Today is Raleigh's surgery

Please keep Raeigh in your prayers today as he has his surgery!


Heard from Tufts this morning that surgery will take place this afternoon..anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. I will be called soon after the procedure. I was told the staff was very impressed with his condition, that he has had great weight gain..38lbs!!! and how sweet and lovable he is.
We did our very best here at the Gergler home so we pray all goes well...the entire extended family miss him already and all are awaiting the news later today. I will send out an email as soon as I hear from the surgeon.
Wendy

Raleigh has his 1st birthday!

Raleigh is doing quite well, he loves running in the field, chasing bees and playing tug of war with Flynn. Mike and I are anxious as the 22nd approaches we hope all goes well and Raleigh comes home the next day. Raleigh seems to have a very keen sense about him as Flynn has a tumor on her lip which she will have surgery for this Thursday and Raleigh is very aware of it...he kisses her only on that side of her face ever since the tumor presented itself we think he is trying to take care of her, Thursday will be a very lonely day for Raleigh with Flynn gone it will be interesting to see how he reacts when she comes home.
Raleigh is maintaining his weight of 36lbs, his appetite is great with bananas the choice treat...I have starting freezing them as a treat for the warm weather.
We had a birthday party for Raleigh on April 25th as that is the date on his paperwork...we made a special banana, apple and canned LD meal with a lit candle on the counter....the grandchildren sang Happy Birthday as Raleigh just sat there like a gentlemen looking at us probably thinking just give me the food!
To all who have sent good wishes..toys and donated for his surgery we thank you so very much our door is open to everyone if you are ever in our area please stop and visit so you can meet Raleigh we would love to have you.
We will send an email out next Thursday as soon as we get a call from the surgeon at Tufts informing us as to how the surgery went....this will be a floor pacing day in Storrs CT.!!!
Again many thanks to everyone and please visit if you can.

Fundable account successful

I have closed the Fundable account established for Raleigh's surgery this morning, a few days early. We were successful in raising $3010, of which we will receive almost $2800 after fees. Thank you all for your wonderful support of this boy and his special need. We will continue taking donations on our website, www.NBRAN.org . Please continue to check back to follow his progress.

Update from Raleigh

It has been pretty quiet here the past week which is a good thing. Raleigh has been enjoying the beautiful warm weather, he is outside from early morning till dusk this makes for a very tired Brittany by 8pm. so the new bed we bought him to share with Flynn (he doesn't as he likes to stretch out) is where one will find him till potty time comes around..again and again. We bought a child size swimming pool for the kids and this has become a fun activity for Raleigh....we'll see how he reacts when we open the big pool!!
So to end this weeks update Raleigh is doing as well as he can with plenty of Science Diet LD, green beans, carrots, peeled apples, bananas and most important lot's of love!
Our heartfelt thanks to one and all for everything.

How's Raleigh Doing?

I wanted to take a moment to send an update on Raleigh. Last week he made a trip to the vet for a swelling on his neck about the size of a softball and lack of energy. It seems he either had a bad reaction to a tick bite or possibly has Lyme's Disease. He was placed on antibiotics and has been responding very well. Here is what foster mom has to say about him this week.


Raleigh is doing much better 1 week into the Amoxicillan for Lyme....he is back to chasing Flynn, playing with his new Orbee and today with the wonderful weather we had in CT. he was laying on his back all fours in the air sleeping like a baby!

We are still getting up 4 to 5 times a night so Raleigh can relieve himself poor little guy this we hope will change very soon after surgery but it may not and if there is no improvement with the bladder issue there is medication we can try....to have an uninterrupted nights sleep would be wonderful for all.

Raleigh also has a new bed as of yesterday....it is large enough for 3 Britts and very soft...does he share with Flynn...no so her nose is bent somewhat and they are no longer sharing the same extra large crate at night as Raleigh likes to stretch out not cuddle.

That's all for now everything seems to be going as well as it can be. Raleigh continues to be a very happy and appreciative boy always wanting to please.

Again words cannot express the gratitude for all everyone is doing to help Raleigh.
Our door is open to anyone who would like to meet and visit Raleigh just give us a call or send an email along.

Wendy, Michael, Flynn and Raleigh

Message from Foster Mom

Good Morning to everyone:

We are the very lucky family who was chosen to foster Raleigh so we thought you might like to know something about this special boy....he is remarkable..lovable..kind...smart...sweet as sugar....and a very happy Brittany. Raleigh loves everyone he meets...he must give a kiss to one and all be it human or animal. When you are around Raleigh you know immediately he is special.
When Raleigh needs to visit Tufts or Bolton Vet Hospital he has the look on his face that is saying please don't abandon me here, with lot's of hugs, kisses and whispered words he starts to relax and when we walk him to the car we are met with many wet kisses of thanks.
To the person or persons who decided he wasn't worth the time and money they have truly missed out in knowing, loving and being loved by a very special dog....their huge loss our huge gain.
Michael and I along with our children, grandchildren, Flynn our little female Britt and especially Raleigh thank you so very much for everything, to all who are helping Raleigh live a life he deserves to live we thank you so very much.

Raleigh's Story

Raleigh is a sweet wonderful 11 month old Brittany. This past January he was found wondering the streets of a Middletown, Ohio neighborhood. Some of the people in the neighborhood were feeding him in an attempt to help but finally one woman took pity on him and brought him inside her home. Thinking he was a Springer Spaniel, she contacted English Springer Rescue (ESRA) who came to get him. His new foster noticed he was drinking and urinating too much so off to her vet he went. The vet felt then he may have a liver shunt but by this time they had determined Raleigh was not a Springer but a Brittany so he came into NBRAN's foster program. He was quickly moved from his Dayton, Ohio foster home to IN to see a vet there for further testing to determine his condition. After many test and scans, he was indeed diagnosed with a liver shunt which if not surgically repaired would end his life at a very young age.
The decision to save this sweet boy was not made lightly. The surgery is expensive and very risky but given his sweet nature and young age, the decision was made to do what ever was possible to help him live a long normal life. A wonderful foster home was secured for him in New England close to Tufts University which is where this particular surgery is being done. So on February 16th he flew up to CT to meet his new foster family. He was seen by the vet at Tufts, underwent even more test and finally was declared a candidate for the surgeial repair of his shunt. He is currently on a special diet and medication to keep him stable until he has his surgery.
His foster family has done so much for Raleigh, we can't thank them enough for opening their home and hearts to this boy. You can tell with every email how much he has affected their lives. As we go through his surgery and recovery, I will be staying in touch with his foster home to keep all his supporters up to date on how he is doing. I hope all of you will watch his progress and send encouraging thoughts and prayers to his foster family. They will be needing our support along the way.