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In March of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic despatched animal shelters throughout America scrambling to deal with the disaster, Avery Sontheimer sought after to lend a hand. So the teenager based Avery’s Pawsitive Change to boost cash for homeless pets.
“I saw a lot of animals needed second chances and a lot of shelters needed help,” the life-long animal lover informed The Dog People.
Through donations to her GoFundMe web page, Avery began sending $five present playing cards and private notes of improve to animal shelters and rescue organizations from her house in Curry, Pennsylvania. Her six rescue cats–Snuggles, Handsome, Bully, TJ, Tee, and Poodah–helped stay her corporate because the challenge grew.
Then in July, Avery were given tricky information. She was once identified with an extraordinary most cancers known as Ewing sarcoma, which happens in bones or the cushy tissues round them.
Undeterred, she persevered sending playing cards and notes from the health facility as she underwent remedy like chemotherapy.
“It keeps me motivated to just keep going,” she mentioned. “When I get older, I also want to own my own animal shelter. That’s my passion. I see they need second chances, and they’re just so cute.”
Avery continues sending present playing cards to animal shelters from Avery’s Pawsitive Change even if within the health facility for most cancers therapies. Photo through Kim Chauncey
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Helping Shelter Pets
So some distance, Avery has despatched a whopping three,295 present playing cards to a large number of shelters in all 50 states, totaling just about $25,000.
“We started this all because of the virus, and then it just went viral,” she mentioned.
She and her mother seek for organizations on the net after which marvel them with present playing cards if an deal with is indexed at the web page.
Sometimes Avery, now 14, sends the playing cards to shelters specifically want, akin to organizations in Texas after February’s iciness typhoon led to well-liked energy outages around the state.
“They were having a hard time, so we just figured we’d help them,” she mentioned.
Avery holds her rescue cat, Snuggles. Photo through Kim Chauncey
Inspiring Others
Often safe haven personnel depart messages of improve on Avery’s GoFundMe web site or her Facebook web page, which has grown to over eight,000 fans. Many are animal fans who proportion pictures and movies of their pets to inspire Avery in her project and to lend a hand buoy her spirits as she battles most cancers.
She loves the messages and is thankful to everybody who has donated and shared her web page with buddies.
“I couldn’t do it without everyone’s help,” she mentioned. “I am very surprised by how big it’s gotten. It’s very rewarding.”
Avery lately introduced any other challenge known as Avery’s Cans for Paws. For the previous 5 years, she’s recycled cans and bottles to fund-raise for close by animal shelters–and raised over $four,000 to spend on cleansing merchandise and different provides the nonprofits want. Now she’s inviting her local people to drop off aluminum cans and plastic bottles out of doors her house.
Avery’s Cans For Paws invitations her neighbors to drop off recycling at her house so she can purchase provides for native animal shelters. Photo through Kim Chauncey
“Keep Going and Stay Positive”
Avery lately headed to Pittsburgh to begin her 14th spherical of chemo. Then she’ll go through radiation on her lungs and would possibly want lung surgical treatment later on. Scans on April five will decide subsequent steps.
Through all of it, the eighth grader plans on writing extra playing cards to ship to shelters whilst she’s within the health facility. She hopes readers will believe donating to her GoFundMe web page so she will ship as many present playing cards as imaginable whilst she undergoes this newest spherical of remedy.
Her recommendation to others struggling with most cancers: “Keep strong and keep going and stay positive.”
Avery’s mother, Kim Chauncey, mentioned she’s proud of her daughter now not just for combating most cancers, however for seeking to apply her goals of opening her personal safe haven and “helping all these animals.” She mentioned there was once by no means a query that Avery would proceed Avery’s Pawsitive Change after her analysis.
“I think it actually makes her want to keep going and fighting this cancer–just the love of animals,” she informed The Dog People. “She has to keep pushing so she can keep following her dreams.”
The proud mother hopes other people will apply Avery’s Facebook web page to stay present on upcoming information.
Avery plans to run her personal animal safe haven when she grows up. Photo through Kim Chauncey
“She’s definitely going to have some new things coming up,” she mentioned. “She will get to make a want, and she or he loves operating, so we’re going to check out to place in combination a digital 5K.”
In the period in-between, Avery continues to encourage animal fans world wide as she is helping save homeless pets.
Sherri Franklin, founder and CEO of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco, California, mentioned she was once thrilled when Avery despatched a present card to lend a hand older animals.
“We at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue are so honored to be chosen by this truly remarkable 14 year old to be a recipient of her amazing work. We need more humans like her in this world,” she informed The Dog People. “We have many tails wagging for her!”
To donate to Avery’s Pawsitive Change, please seek advice from: https://www.gofundme.com/f/avery039s-pawsitive-change-spread-the-love
