Chris and Mariesa Hughes have been passionate about dogs their whole lives. They even started the Mr. Mo Project, which is a rescue made specifically to help senior dogs. So, they spend a lot of time around dogs, and of course, they always want what is best for their own furbabies. When their senior Chihuahua named Mabel became very sick one day, they knew they had to do whatever they could to save her.
Mabel is 16 years old, and she was adopted by Chris and Mariesa in 2016. Mabel has had lots of medical issues in the past, but that has never stopped her from being fierce and in charge of the house.
A few years ago, some of Mabel’s health conditions lead to her having breathing problems. The couple had taken her to Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca where they were able to help her in any way possible.
Mabel went through many surgeries at that hospital, and now, she breathes out of a hole in her throat. Her parents closely monitor her breathing at all times. Their situation might not seem ideal to some dog parents, but Chris and Mariesa will do whatever they can to keep their sweet dog safe and healthy.
Mabel’s Emergency
One Saturday night, Mabel’s breathing issues suddenly got worse out of nowhere. The hole in her trachea was starting to collapse, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Chris and Mariesa called Cornell University Hospital for Animals, and Dr. Baum informed them that they should come see him as soon as possible. The hospital was about 3 hours away, but the couple hopped in the car with Mabel and started driving immediately.
Everything seemed like it was going to be just fine, but then, halfway through the trip, Mabel stopped breathing. She appeared to be in bad shape. She was flopping around and her tongue started to turn purple, but her parents knew there was still hope.
Chris jumped into action and started giving Mabel mouth-to-trachea resuscitation until she finally began breathing again. Then, they rushed her to the closest vet they could find.
They ended up at a small animal clinic. Unfortunately, that vet didn’t have much they could to do help long-term. So, Chris and Mariesa called Dr. Baum once more to see what their options were.
To their surprise, Dr. Baum informed them that he and Dr. Hayes were on their way to help Mabel. They drove an hour and a half just to bring the necessary medical equipment to Mabel and her family. To Chris and Mariesa, Dr. Baum was like a superhero.
Dr. Baum arrived quickly to their location. He put Mabel in a portable oxygen tank and drove her back to Ithaca. He ended up saving her life, and now she’s feeling better than ever thanks to his kind actions.
Awarding Dr. Baum
Chris and Mariesa are still in awe that Dr. Baum went so far out of his way just to help their dog. They can’t imagine any other vet that would be willing to go through such lengths to do the right thing. The couple has repeatedly said that saying thank you to him will never be enough.
“A lot of people say ‘this is a 16 year old Chihuahua with major medical issues, why are you doing this?’ But I think when you meet her, it’s something you understand, her spunk and her attitude and charisma. She wants to be around.” Chris said.
In order to properly honor Dr. Baum for his amazing work, Chris and Mariesa created a compassion award at Cornell University Hospital for Animals in his honor. This award has a $2,500 prize, and it recognizes that Dr. Baum’s actions truly went above and beyond. What he did was simply out of the kindness of his heart, so his actions will never be forgotten.
Chris and Mariesa now send updates on Mabel to Dr. Baum. They want to let him know that their dog is still going strong and living her best life because of him. She may be a senior dog, but she still has a long, happy life ahead of her thanks to all the amazing people in her life.
H/T: cbs6albany.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, @CornellVet/Facebook
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