About Me
WHO WAS HADLEY?
Hadley came into our lives in September of 2005. We were at an Adopt-A-Thon put on by a few local rescue groups and stopped in our tracks when we saw her sitting here on the laps of a shelter worker at the It's All About The Cats table. Hadley -- who was named Korea at the shelter -- had this aura about her that was impossible not to fall in love. The tufts in her ears, the "koala coloring" on her nose, the hum of her purr as she fell asleep in the arms of the volunteer. My fiance and I were smitten at once and brought her home as the new, adopted sister for our other sweet girl, Landon Dakota. Landon, a special needs cat who suffered from severe abuse, was desperate for a friend. We had hoped to find her someone who could care for her and connect to her in a way that the doctors, although wonderful, didn't seem to be able to. Hadley was that cat. Hadley came into Landon's life and brightened it. Soon, there were no more post-traumatic stress outbursts. The two were inseparable. And Hadley, our little one and a half year old ball of fluff and joy, made our lives complete. Our lives came to a standstill on Friday, July 13th, 2007. I came home from work to find Hadley unresponsive on the floor. My fiance and I rushed her to the emergency clinic where she was diagnosed with severe anemia and asked to stay overnight. We were sure she would be okay. How could she not be? All of our cats went to the vet for their yearly check-ups, they were up to date on all of their shots, they ate only the best food. We picked Hadley up from the emergency clinic the next day and brought her to our usual vet for a routine check-up. This is when the doctor told us something we never thought we'd hear: it's leukemia, and it's flared up pretty badly. We were in denial and, through our tears, my fiance and I rushed her to another reputable vet in the area. He confirmed our worst fears: yes, it was leukemia, and yes...it was very bad. This brought up many questions: how? How could she have leukemia? She was tested, she had her shots each year! The only cats she has ever seen have been ours. None of them go outdoors. None of them have come in contact with any other cat or animal. It didn't make sense. Soon, the mysteries began to unravel. Hadley's first test upon adoption was a false negative. This whole time, she had leukemia. It remained dormant until the anemia and then she had straight up lost her battle. It was a nightmare that no pet owner should have to live through. These are not "just cats." Hadley was not "just a cat." She was our baby, our child, and she is gone.
Hadley went to sleep on July 15th, 2007. She was three years and four months old. The last thing she saw, felt or heard were my fiance and I holding her, stroking her and telling her that we loved her with all of our hearts. Before she went to sleep, she went and told Landon goodbye -- with a huge slew of kisses. At this point, Hadley had so little energy that she could barely move or hold her head up. This affection towards Landon proved my point, that the two completed one another. Hadley was thirteen pounds before this fiasco and by the time she passed on, she was nine pounds. Her will to live was gone and she was refusing all food and water. Watching her body slowly quit was something that no pet parent should have to do. "It's my time," she told us. And she went to sleep. I will never forget July 15th, 2007 for as long as I live. It was the day I lost one of my babies.
We believed in Hadley the way some people believe in angels. She was beautiful and pure, she was full of the kind of goodness that people base their wishes upon. There will always be this emptiness in our lives now that she is gone. We will never get her back. We will never see her again. This much is true. However, we can make a difference . We need to stop FeLV and FIV from existing and stealing the lives of so many beautiful cats who are so, so loved. And for those cats already infected? We need to make sure that they're loved. They might be positive, but let's make sure they're positively loved.
Hadley is survived by her two beautiful cat "sisters". Landon Dakota, age 5, and Jagger Olivia, age 2. After extensive blood testing done at the result of Hadley's leukemia diagnosis, it was confirmed that both Jagger and Landon are both negative for leukemia. Both unique in their own way, Jagger is timid and skittish and Landon is the big lion in the body of a kitten. We all miss Hadley very much. Life will never be the same without her.
WHAT YOU CAN DO...
I will not sit by and do nothing. Hadley would not have wanted that. I will do everything in my power to keep her name and legacy alive and to also help out so many cats in her place. I do this by supporting and hoping to raise money for THE MARLEY FUND .
The Marley Fund is a non-profit organization that raises money and awareness towards FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline AIDS). In addition, the Marley Fund has The Marley House. The Marley House is a safe-haven for infected cats ensuring that they receive the proper love, life and care that they deserve.
Feline leukemia is not a death sentence! The disease, as Hadley's did, can remain dormant for so long.
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www.positivelyloved.com
