A Love Beyond Measure

I got the call, as I do so many others, asking for help for a beloved canine companion. Each call is special but this one clutched at my heart.

Bobby Adkins’ sister-in-law, Judy, was embarrassed when she spoke to me but I assured her that she was talking to an avid animal lover. She took a deep breath and then told me about her brother-in-law’s adored canine companion, Tracey. “These two are inseparable, Carole,” she said, “and I mean inseparable. They eat together, walk together, watch TV together and,” she said in a hushed voice, “even sleep together.” I had to laugh and told her I was familiar firsthand with that kind of love. I live it everyday.

It seems that Bobby, 67, has a bad heart. With 2 open-heart surgeries already behind him, doctors are pressing him for yet another one. He moved a year ago from the fast-paced Maryland area to live in his brother’s downstairs apartment in Craigsville VA. It’s been a comfortable arrangement but Bobby’s 7-year-old Pitbull was having problems, and he was worried. Bobby had taken Tracey to two different veterinarians. Both gave the same diagnosis. And both vets thought there could be a possible spinal injury. They each recommended that Virginia Tech. follow up with the dog and perform the estimated $2,000 surgery.

Bobby did not have the money for such an expensive operation. That’s why Judy called me. As soon as Bobby and Tracey walked through the hospital doors, it was obvious to all that these two were more than companions. They were soul mates, bound together by a radiant love for each other. The sweetness and caring that both shared was not only seen by everyone at Virginia Tech., it was felt by all of us.

And Bobby refused to leave Tracey. He asked the hospital if he could sleep in his car (on Virginia Tech. property) while his beloved friend was being evaluated. Virginia Tech., this huge conglomerate of doctors with their labs, their rules and stiff regulations, looked steadfastly into the hopeful eyes of Bobby Adkins, and said, of course.

Soon it would be over. Bobby was confident that the doctors would fix Tracey, and life would return to normal. He and Tracey would live many years together, once again comfortable and secure in their bond.

But then the unthinkable happened. Tracey’s MRI revealed something worse than a spinal injury. It was a neurological disorder called Cerebellum Cortical Degeneration and it affects the brain. Tracey’s condition is a genetically inherited condition somewhat common in Staffordshire Terriers (Pitbulls). Much like Parkinson’s in people, Tracey’s condition would worsen. She was already losing her balance, falling over when she urinated and crying out in pain. Now Bobby learned that all of Tracey’s symptoms would progress.

Bobby’s face, stoic with hope, suddenly crumbled. This was not how it was supposed to be. His beloved companion had just been given a death sentence. Tracey’s condition could not be repaired. And worse, the doctors could not even slow it down. The two have very little time left together.

And there was still the matter of the bill. I asked the billing department at Virginia Tech to meet Bobby and Tracey to evaluate the situation for themselves. After all, seeing the bond these two had for each other would tell a far better story. They agreed and we made the necessary arrangements.

The Virginia Tech. billing department moved by the incredible bond between them, spoke to the hospital director. Remarkably, the hospital agreed to pay $500 of the bill with The Mosby Foundation paying the balance.

All who saw Bobby and his dog together were deeply touched. And that love radiated and penetrated the walls of a seemingly impersonal hospital. It created a miracle of sorts. Bobby Adkins, with no money to treat his trusted companion, created a love so strong that it moved a hospital to reflect that love back to him.

Bobby won’t have many days left with Tracey. And, at some point, he will have to make the agonizing decision to end Tracey’s pain. But he can be assured about one thing. He did everything humanly possible to save the life of his best friend. And by doing so, he opened the hearts of hospital personnel. Bobby Adkins demonstrated by word and deed the very reason we’re on this planet together.

Love is all there is.

FOOD LION
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