Noah is a 6-year-old Shih Tzu in Lebanon, PA, who needs $2,000 for Cervical Myelopathy.

Hi, my name is Arelis. Since the age of 15, I have been battling stage 4 neuroblastoma for seven years and counting. After my diagnosis, I was in an extremely dark place. So, like any loving family would, mine tried to raise my spirits. They surprised me with the best gift anyone could ask for, Noah. Just as they hoped, my mood changed all because of one dog. He quite literally saved my life.

Noah is a happy, energetic dog. He is my literal shadow and must follow me everywhere I go because if not, he gets upset. His favorite things are toys, but not just any toys—the obnoxious toys that tend to drive people insane. Because of this, every month since he was just a few months old, he has gotten a BarkBox. It is so adorable how he can tell the difference between a normal package and his.

I know him like the back of my hand. It makes me so happy watching his world freeze and his head tilt when I say key phrases to him like, "____ is coming!" "Do you wanna go outside?" "Do you want a treat?" but my absolute favorite is "Where's your toy, Noah?" He always without hesitation darts away running to the place where he left it last (I have no clue how he always remembers).

On February 6th, Noah was diagnosed with cervical myelopathy. We were told he needed to be kept in a crate for four weeks in order for his neck/spine to heal. Since then, his condition has worsened, and he needs a life-saving surgery worth $10,000. The specialist said this surgery is needed in order for him to have a quality life. I cannot afford this bill.

I am a cancer patient; therefore, I cannot work. Noah is always well taken care of when it comes to his health and vaccinations, but this came unexpectedly. So I was not prepared to pay thousands of dollars out of the blue.