Bonni, you were there with me through one of the most saddest and difficult times in my life. You reassured me that I was doing the right thing and stressed how lucky my Onyx was to have me for his mom.  All I can do is stress how fortunate Onyx and I were to have you, Frankie’s Friends and all of the great doctors and staff at NYC Veterinary Specialists by our side.

Although my heart is still heavy, it is bursting with gratitude for all of your help. Thank you for taking such good care of my Onyx. Thank you all for loving all of the beautiful pets that you guys take care of each and everyday.

God bless each and every one of you. You guys are truly a blessing to all pet parents. I will be forever grateful for all of you.

Sincerely,

Mary & Onyx aka Mr. Man

I would like to thank you for the support from the  Zeus Varis Fund and Frankie’s Friends during my dog Klowdy’s chemotherapy treatments for her lymphoma.Without your help, Klowdy would probably not have been around for another year after she was diagnosed in April 2009. With school loans and other bills, it was certainly difficult to treat Klowdy and afford the treatments, I am grateful for everything, from the support at NYCVS and Frankie’s Friends.
Although Klowdy recently passed away, I know I did my best in trying to prolong her life with lymphoma, thanks to the Zeus Varis Funds. I will definitely miss my best friend of nine years, but I know she is in a better place now. Klowdy gave me the best nine years!!!

Thank you greatly Dr. Agnes Varis!

Sincerely,
Catherine K. & Klowdy

In April I noticed that BJ’s lymph nodes were enlarged and he was diagnosed with lymphoma. My heart sank as I had just lost my favorite aunt to lymphoma earlier that month after a 10-year remission. Immediately I was interested in pursuing chemo in hopes of achieving the ultimate goal of remission for my sweet baby boy. The nurse gave me the estimate and I started to cry because there was no way that I would be able to afford the treatment. I decided to take it one week at a time and approved the first treatment and swiped my nearly maxed out credit card. The nurse and vet then turned my world right side up again when they mentioned Frankie’s Friends. To my delight BJ was approved for 75 percent coverage!

After his first treatment his lymph nodes literally shrank right before my eyes…unbelievable! He just received the third treatment of the Madison-Wisconsin protocol and his lymph nodes are now normal sizes. He did suffer from vomiting and diarrhea after the second treatment but that was short-lived with the help of anti-diarrheal and anti-nausea medication. He is back to his normal self and is just as warm and fuzzy as ever.

The stars have shined on us thanks to Frankie’s Friends. I saw a picture and story of Frankie and lit a candle in his honor. I plan on donating regularly to the fund as soon as I get back on my feet. This support has literally saved BJ’s life and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Thank you again for all your thoughtfulness and support,

xoxo

BJ and mom

There are not enough words that can accurately express my gratitude to you.  Your generosity has afforded me the opportunity to continue celebrating my friend Jason’s legacy through Gem.

After my dear friend’s passing I was certain that things could not get any worse, but they did, his dog and best friend Gem was diagnosed with Lymphoma just two short weeks after.  I was left feeling lifeless.  Not only did I endure the passing of a dear friend, I was then left wondering how I was going to care for Gem.  The diagnosis did not seem promising, until I was introduced to your foundation.

After reading your story I was deeply saddened to learn that Zeus’s life was cut short.   Your story was truly inspirational.  I spent many days hoping and praying that Gem’s quality of life would be like Zeus’s and other animals you have helped.  When my phone rang that day at work and Bonnie told me that the Zeus Varis Fund would be assisting Gem with chemo treatments, I was certain that Gem would have every opportunity to enjoy a full and happy life.  Since beginning treatment, Gem has been gaining strength and enjoying life just like the good old days.  I know I can rest easy knowing that Gem is receiving the very best care, thanks to your generosity.

This journey for me has been one filled with many emotions.  Gem’s zest for life has provided me with so much strength during this extremely tough time in my life.  Everyday I am so grateful for what you have done for me, Gem and Tiggie.  Even though Jason is not here anymore, I am certain his spirit lives on through Gem, and for that I am forever grateful to you.

Many Thanks,

Lauren Glick, Gem and Tiggie

I would like to thank you and everyone else who made this funding possible for my dog Q.B. I appreciate the Zeus Varis Fund’s help so that Q.B can start his cancer treatment. I never thought Q.B would be diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer. He is such a sweet and loving dog who’s been through a lot in his years. When he was three-weeks-old he had to go through major surgery to fix his jaw, which his father ripped apart when Q.B tried to eat from his father bowl of food. Q.B lost all his bottom teeth. He had a very expensive surgery just to have his jaw fixed and put into place.

And sadder still, his previous owner left him at the hospital and never came back for him.  Q.B was put up for adoption, at the vet clinic where I worked, and I ended up adopting him before he was euthanized.  I felt Q.B and I were meant for each other.

He is such a beautiful pit bull who has had years of happiness and lots of love in his life. When I got the news about Q.B having Lymphoma it crushed my heart. Both of my parents are cancer survivors, so we have gone through this before, but it was still heartbreaking to me and my parents, to find out about Q.B.’s cancer diagnosis.

I am so grateful to you. Dr. Agnes Varis, and your staff for making this possible for Q.B. , especially since I am unemployed at the moment. Once again, I thank you so much and Q.B also thanks you for making it possible for him to get his treatment.

From Q.B & The Figueroa’s Family

P.S. Thank you to Zeus Varis Fund and to the staff!

I just wanted to thank you so much for your wonderful help for Simon. It has been a really tough time both mentally and financially for me and my family since Simon’s diagnose and his treatment. When he was diagnosed with lymphoma, it was devastating news because I really thought there is nothing I can do to help him feel better. He couldn’t breathe well, and he continued to loose his appetite. He is such a precious pet, because he was there for me comforting and cheering me up everyday for a decade. When I heard that there was such a generous person who would help us, I just cried and smiled simultaneously because I really felt like it was an answer to my prayers. With your generous help and Dr. Oberthaler’s and oncology department staffs’ care, Simon is doing very well so far. He is eating and breathing well, his quality of life has improved so much. Thank you very much for helping us. I really appreciate your kindness.

Sincerely,

Chiyoko

I write to thank you on behalf of our dog Senorita.  Senorita has begun her treatment thanks to the generosity of the Zeus Varis Fund of Frankie’s Friends, and she is doing great.  Senorita is not only my dog, she belongs to the whole parish family of St.Joseph of the Holy Family located right on 125th St. in Harlem.  Senorita came to us 12yrs ago as an abandoned little puppy and she quickly adopted us.  She has not only been an honored member of our family she has done an incredible job of watching over the parish for the last 12 years.  She is loving and kind to all our folks and has received much love in return.  Five years ago my mother came to live with us as a result of health concerns.  The move was a difficult one, leaving a home she had lived in for many years and familiar surroundings.  Senorita solved the problem right away, she became my mother’s best friend and daily companion.

I believe that Senorita’s presence in my mother’s life has made a discernible difference in the quality of her life these past five years.  She fusses over Senorita daily and in return is given love and devotion by Senorita.  They make quite a pair.  Senorita is also valued by the parish in general.  Everyone knows her as she is the official “welcome wagon” at the front door, ready to sniff, wag her tail and with the occasional bark for anyone she deems suspicious!  I can’t tell you how happy we are to be able to see her improve in health and spirits these past few weeks.

On behalf of everyone here, I want to thank you and assure you of our prayers and best wishes for the good work your foundation is doing.  While I am a diocesan priest, Fr. Neal O’Connell a Franciscan lives and works in the parish, so he adds a special Franciscan blessing to all animals and to all who love and care for them.  Each Feast of St. Francis we have a blessing of the animals in the church, this year we will remember in a special way all the pets who have been helped and continue to be helped by your generosity.  We will also continue to pray for you and the good work you do.  One other member of the family wants to say thank you, and that is Paddington our other dog, who would be lost without Senorita.

Peace!

Rev. Philip J. Kelly
Pastor

On January 29th, 2010 my dog, Krisna, a German Sheppard mix, was diagnosed with Fibro sarcoma cancer which later turned out to be Melanoma. This diagnosis came one week before my birthday. Words can not describe how devastating this time was for me.  Krisna has been a significant part and love of my life for over 14 years. The vet said there was nothing they could do further, so I researched this terminal disease online. This is how I came across the NYC Veterinary Specialists. Out of all the veterinary oncology teams out there NYCVS seemed to be the best.

Since the moment I walked into the hospital on February 10th, I knew I made the right choice. Everyone was extremely helpful and considerate of Krishna’s and my own well being. Dr. Karen Oberthaler took extra time out of her busy schedule to explain the disease to me and what the possible treatments were, as I was extremely nervous of making the right decision. As it turned out, surgery was the best and only option for Krisna, to remove the tumor out of her mouth. However the cost of the surgery was way past the amount I could afford as I hardly had any employment in 2009 and therefore I was worried I would not be able to save Krisna’s life. As I was waiting in the examination room Bonni Voiland introduced herself as the executive director of Frankie’s Friends and explained to me what the foundation does and that the Zues Varis fund would be able to help me fund the surgery.

Dr.Oberthler and the oncology team’s services, along with your generous contribution saved Krisna’s life. I can’t describe my gratitude to you giving Krisna another opportunity at life. Because of this miracle she is now able to live a normal-quality full-term life. I only wish that you and the entire hospital experience the joy and happiness in your lives that I feel at this time.

I asked Bonni what I could do to help Frankie’s Friends and if she had any extra fliers for me to give out. At the time I was working at the Gershwin Theatre where the Broadway show Wicked was being performed and Bonni mentioned to me that Wicked happened to be her favorite Broadway show. So, I passed along one of those fliers and told the theatre’s company manager the miraculous story of the help Krisna and I received.  I hoped to get just a few tickets as a thank you to give to you, Bonni, Dr. Oberthaler, and the oncology team. The company manager ended up donating 100 tickets to Frankie’s friends and NYCVS so that the whole hospital could attend Wicked on Thursday March 4th. I was hoping to meet you at the performance  so that I could personally thank you, but Bonni informed me that you were unable to attend. You were missed and in my thoughts that night.

This sums up the amazing story of how you and Frankie’s Friends saved Krisna’s life! Up to this date, she is doing great and living a high-quality of life; eating and drinking normally and playing with her toys and stuffed animals that she loves. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you! Best wishes to you and your family and all the staff at NYCVS!

With all of our love,

Krisna and Zofia