An eight-year-old with a rare brain condition is appealing for help to save her emotional support cat Crumpet after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.
Haverhill mother Stefanie Hempenstall, 30, is trying to raise funds needed to buy her daughter's cat Crumpet vital life-saving medication.
Her daughter, eight-year-old Ivy, has a Chiari malformation which is a structural defect in the base of the skull.
Ivy has previously had brain surgery and currently uses a wheelchair part-time to help with her ongoing health issues.
She attends horse-riding lessons with the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) in Bury St Edmunds and her mum says this led them to the idea of getting a pet for their home.
"The horses really raised her self-esteem, so we decided that an animal would greatly benefit her at home and that's how Crumpet came about," said Miss Hempenstall.
Ivy received her beloved kitten as a surprise on her eighth birthday, seven months ago, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.
Tragically, on Monday, December 5, Crumpet was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) which can be fatal without treatment.
Having never heard of the condition before, Miss Hempenstall googled it and was heartbroken to see Crumpet's gloomy prognosis.
"I was naïve in thinking a healthy house kitten would be okay without insurance until the cost of Christmas was over," she said.
However, after plenty of research and help from other pet owners whose cats have FIP, she has found a new medication which could help save Crumpet's life.
"It's an 84 day course and tablets are very expensive," she said.
"Each bottle of treatment only contains 10 tablets and costs £554 each."
The family started a GoFundMe page to raise the money vital to Crumpet's life-saving treatment and have thus far been able to raise over £1,500.
Crumpet has begun taking the medication, but they still have more to raise if he is to finish the course.
"I would appreciate any share or donation that means my daughter's cat has a fighting chance," said Miss Hempenstall.
"It really would mean the world to her."
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