As soon as Ellie Purpura met Will, she knew something was wrong. The kitten was covered in fleas, had tapeworms and was underweight. But worst of all: He wasn't breathing properly.
Will was brought to the Yolo County Animal Shelter on May 2, and the shelter called Purpura to pick up Will because she fosters kittens and often picks up ones that aren't healthy enough to stay at the shelter.
When Purpura, a student at UC Davis, brought Will to the emergency room, she was told he had a hole in his heart and an esophageal defect that makes it hard for him to keep food down.
She learned Will needed medication to help his heart, and a CT angiogram and surgery to fix his esophagus. But the bill comes out to $8,000, money Purpura doesn't have. She set up a GoFundMe campaign for Will, which raised over $1,000 in two days.
"To be able to look at Will and say yes to him because someone else was generous just means the world to me," Purpua said. "As a student, I don't have $8,000. But when I see dozens of people coming together to support him, that's just heartwarming."
Will's surgery is scheduled for May 16. Purpura said that now that the weather is warm, thousands of orphan kittens like Will are coming into shelters.
"If anyone is unable to donate but is interested in becoming a foster parent, that helps as well," Purpura said.
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