Victoria Chester Rose
Founder of The Izzie Fund
By Paula Green
In December 2020, Izzie was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. “It was a serious heart condition. The treatment plan included working with a cardiologist, hospital stays, oxygen pet chambers at the ICU, ER visits, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, specialized medicines, and home oxygen therapy. We spent roughly $20,000 in less than three months.” Victoria added. Sadly, Izzie passed away one month shy of her 15th birthday.
“When we lost Izzie, we were broken, but at the same time, we felt lucky to be able to provide her with the care she needed. After she passed, we took her medicine, food, and other items and donated them to Animal Friends. The veterinarian was incredibly thankful, and one week later, we received a heartfelt card in the mail from their office thanking Izzie (not me) for helping the homeless dogs in the shelter. It was in that moment of grief that I found hope. That's why I started The Izzie Fund, which provides financial assistance to family-owned pets needing specialty veterinary care. It benefits those who are unable to afford the full cost of the recommended treatment plan. I never allowed cost to influence any of our decisions throughout Izzie's medical treatment plan. I was determined to give her everything possible so we would never look back and wonder what if. We wanted to provide that same gift to others," Victoria said.
"I used to tell Izzie that I would throw her the biggest sweet sixteenth birthday party. We officially launched The Izzie Fund on March 21, what would have been her 16th birthday. Over this year, we have made amazing progress.
"We've hosted 11 community events since June. Upcoming on Friday, December 2, The Izzie Fund is hosting PNO – Paw'rents Night Out, which is a private shopping event and wine tasting. Reserve your spot by emailing victoria@theizziefund.org. For this event, we’ve partnered with OneHope, a California vineyard. If people want to order their holiday wine, 10% of the proceeds go to The Izzie Fund. We have a shop on our website and graciously accept any monetary donations; details can be found on theizziefund.org/.”
"We recently launched our application process and are helping the first dog. We're here to help with medical conditions above and beyond basic and general veterinarian care. If someone meets the requirements, they'll need to complete an application. Once approved, we will work directly with your treating provider/veterinarian on providing payment. All the details can be found on theizziefund.org/request-for-assistance/." Victoria said.
Victoria and George welcomed a new puppy named Teddy into their home. She said, "He is different than Izzie; he's all spunk. Teddy came into our life about six months after Izzie passed. I wasn't ready, but now I look at him and see why grief has to exist. It means you loved someone so much that the pain is worth it all. Sometimes I tell him that he will break my heart, too, someday. It is sad but so worth it to love that deeply."
Visit https://theizziefund.org/ for more information or follow The Izzie Fund at @theizziefund on Instagram and Facebook .