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ME! |
I'm
Cindy,
your Magic Bullet Fund newsletter Editor.
Send
comments,
questions and suggestions to me by email: Click Here.
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VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHT
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Nicole
Gravely
For the past few years Nicole has donated
regularly to MBF. In July 2006 her dog, Molli was diagnosed and treated
for lymphoma. Today Molli is still in remission while Nicole serves as
a volunteer with MBF. She is handling "thankyou" communications
to donors as well as inquiries from dog-owners in need of a
veterinary oncologist to treat their dog.
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Kristin Baril
Kristin is also a
regular donor to MBF and currently manages the MBF shop at EBay.
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A
BIG SHOUT OF THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS!
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| YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! |
The season of giving is upon us! Through the
generous support from the Magic Bullet Fund and its patrons dogs like
Gizmo, King, Daggit, Samantha and Hannah reached the
funding levels needed for their treatments. Thanks to all of those
who contributed!
Radar and Angel are now fighting to survive and these brave spirits
need support from you and your friends. Read here about their battles
and make a
donation in the spirit of giving today. Your holiday season will be
all the more enriched!
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Add your donation to help these dogs and
others fight for their survival!
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| DOGS IN TREATMENT |
Radar
7-year old
Shiba Inu
with lymphoma
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Angel
4-year-old
Border Collie
with lymphoma
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Join the MBF
forum!
Here's why - families need emotional support.
Some supporters help by
donating and some help just by offering support. |
| HOLIDAY
GIFTS AT MBF |
Still
have some shopping to do for the holidays? Get those gifts at the shop
at MBF! Here's what you can find to fill those stockings.
 BRAVE SPIRITS
2010 CALENDARS
Don't
miss your chance for a 2010 Brave Spirits calendar featuring 12 MBF
dogs who had treatment in 2009 and with their inspirational stories of
love and survival. A perfect holiday gift for friends, or for yourself!
Order your Brave Spirits calendar now
and
don't forget one for your office! Click for details.
T-Shirts,
coffee mugs and more!
Go to the MBF store at Cafe Press.
 Medallions
Order tough stainless steel MBF medallions
with a chain for you, or as a charm for your dog's collar. The back can
be engraved with dog's name and phone. Order here.
Handmade Crafts and
Artwork
Truly unique one-of-a-kind jewlery, cards,
etc. donated by independent artists to help raise funds for the MBF
dogs. Go to the MBF shop at Ebay.
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| SPONSOR
SPOTLIGHT: CRUNCH
FOR A CAUSE! |
 For every donation of
$25 we will send you 10 Crunch Cards for your fur critters to enjoy!
Don't forget to share them with your friend's fur critters too!
Crunch Cards misprints donated to
MBF by Crunchkins owner Christine Hoy. Crunch Cards is the
only patented line of edible greeting cards for pets. These cards
feature a cute sentiment on a flat rawhide card. The ink is a non-toxic
water based edible ink, and the designs are lively, creative &
fun!!
We all know people who send dogs paper greeting cards, (and some dogs
will eat anything….), Why not send one that the owner will love &
the dog can then eat!
Click here to make a donation and get Crunch Cards for your pups and
their friends!
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COMING IN EARLY
2010
NEW BOOK BY LAURIE KAPLAN
"So Easy to Love; So Hard
to Lose" (Working
title)
Laurie writes about the loss of a
pet and its impact
on ourselves and others who were part of their story.
Watch for
the publication here to
place your order!
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| SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT |
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YOU CAN’T SPELL GREAT WITHOUT GRETA
by Greg Fields
I was out at the park with my pre-schooler when my wife
called. Our 10-year-old Weimaraner Greta was having trouble breathing.
That same day we were given the diagnosis that broke our hearts: Greta
had two tumors embedded in her lungs. Unless they were removed, she had
only weeks to live. The news got worse when we discovered the surgery
and ensuing chemo treatments would cost over $15,000!
The timing of Greta’s illness could not have been worse. Rozanna and I
are writers and we had just suffered through a terrible labor strike
and months of unemployment. Our savings were depleted and our credit
cards maxed out. We were faced with a terrible decision. But Greta is a
member of our family in fact my son always refers to her as his
“sister.” We had to find a way. 
Our veterinary cancer specialist referred us to the Magic Bullet Fund.
We were thrilled when founder Laurie Kaplan called to say that Greta
was accepted for assistance, she became an MBF dog. Laurie helped us
raise funds for Greta's treatment from our friends and family and from
the generous MBF supporters. There were other unexpected benefits too.
Our vet gave us a significant discount for Greta being an MBF dog and
MBF provided us with supplements from Aloha Medicinals.
Even with the money in hand, there was no guarantee Greta would even
survive the surgery. But given the alternative, we moved ahead. Our
surgeon, Dr. Kim Carey did a miraculous job of removing two
softball-sized tumors from Greta’s lungs. One hurdle cleared.
Of course the surgery would be for nothing if we didn’t follow it up
with chemo to help prevent the cancer from returning. And here,
Laurie’s experience and expertise on canine cancer was a godsend.
Laurie worked with us every step of the way, giving us the pros and
cons of different treatments, along with tips on nutrition and
supplements.
Meanwhile, MBF continued to raise donations to finance a good portion
of Greta’s chemo, giving us a great sense of relief. We updated Greta’s
progress every day in the MBF forum at Delphi Forums. At the MBF forum,
a whole community of people we had never met totally embraced us and
offered their empathy and support. It was great to know that we were
not alone in our time of difficulty.
At the end of the day, our hope, based on the general
medical prognosis, was to extend our dog’s life by one year. But
Greta has surpassed our wildest expectations. On the first anniversary
of Greta’s treatment, our vet performed a full body ultrasound.
Incredibly, he could not find a single trace of cancer. Greta was in
complete remission! December 5, 2009 marked the 19 MONTH anniversary of
Greta’s surgery! But she isn’t just surviving; she is thriving. Greta
runs and plays at the dog park. This past summer, we hauled her 3,000
miles cross country where she spent a month swimming and playing in
Lake Winnipesaukee with our five year old son.
We prepared ourselves for the worst case scenario, but Greta has
decided she isn’t going anywhere. And for that we have to thank the
Magic Bullet Fund and its generous supporters.
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A NOTE FROM MBF
FOUNDER - Laurie Kaplan
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 As
this year draws to an end, I'd like to recap some significant
milestones in MBF history.
November
20th last month marked the 5-year anniversary of my cancer survivor
Bullet’s journey to the Rainbow Bridge. It also marked the 4-year
anniversary of the Magic Bullet Fund. This is no coincidence! I
intentionally accepted the first dog (Regal) into MBF on the one-year
anniversary of Bullet’s final journey. I wanted to commemorate the day,
and what better way than to start helping a dog with cancer fight for
her
lfie.
In
4
years, we have helped 86 beautiful dogs through cancer treatment. By
“we,” of course, I mean MBF and you! You, and all of the MBF sponsors,
understand The Bond between a person and a dog. Because of you, 86
families did not have to helplessly watch their dogs succumb to cancer
without putting up a fight. You gave these dogs a chance to survive.
Your donations turned despair into hope across the country.
7
Brave Spirits in the MBF family are currently in treatment. We wish
them
all successful treatment and a long survival, on borrowed time.
38
MBF dogs have finished treatment and are surviving, alive and well in
their loving homes. These dogs and families are treasuring every moment
- this is the gift that we give to the dogs and their families.
41
MBF dogs are at the Rainbow Bridge. Some passed after a long survival
and some more quicky, but but your assistance was important to the
families no matter the outcome. Through your donations and support, you
gave them the peace of mind of knowing that they did try to fight for
their dogs’ lives.
Thank
you for helping MBF write this history, in loving memory of Bullet and
of your own cancer survivors.
ASK
LAURIE
If
your dog has cancer, your veterinarian will provide a diagnosis and
will recommend a course of treatment or refer you to a specialist. You
will have questions and concerns. What should I do? What are the
treatment options and how do I choose? Should I change my dog's diet or
supplements?
MBF
founder Laurie Kaplan provides guidance and support to all of the
families whose dogs are in the Magic Bullet Fund. Laurie also offers
guidance to those who have a dog with cancer but don't need financial
assistance.
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The fight goes on! Many more dogs need
our help.
Show your support so that more dogs can
have a chance to survive cancer.
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