Berkeley, a sweet little kitten

Berkeley came into the rescue with her siblings. They were all doing well until I noticed she was not eating as well as her siblings and was more lethargic. She was so sweet, even when I knew she didn’t feel well, she purred and loved being held. She went to the several vets as we tried to determine what was wrong. It was a process of ruling out what it wasn’t. In addition, she had to have several trips to the emergency room for supportive care. Her lungs were cloudy but bloodwork didn’t support FIP. She tested light positive for FELV but a PCR test ruled that out. She was very small so many of the tests were difficult to do. She was moved to another foster who was home more frequently, as I had to return to work as a teacher. We were then referred to an internist at VSNT. After a thorough review of what she had already had done, they did a urinalysis to determine what exactly the infection was. Berkeley was finally diagnosed with Histoplasmosis. It is very rare to see in a kitten this small and treating and killing this fungal infection would be 6-12 months of medication. Following that long day at the vet, sadly, Berkeley started to fade in the days that followed. Supportive care was given but this fungal infection was proving to be too much for her little body. Little Berkeley passed away in the arms of her foster. She was told how much she was loved and how special she was. Both Amy and I are devastated by her loss. Although she was tiny, she was a mighty fighter who captured our hearts. The vet bills for her care total $5000.  Any donation to the rescue to help cover those expenses,  would be greatly appreciated. No donation is too small; they all add up. Thank you so much.