Milton Nonprofits and Charities

Emma's Foundation helped me keep my dog Chance alive, and more importantly happy/comfortable while I was in medical school. My mom died when I was a kid. My dad is not in the picture. I have no siblings. My grandparents are all dead. I did not have a girlfriend at the time. I had friends in medical school but it is an incredibly isolating experience especially given my situation at the time. My black lab, Chance, was sick with a peripheral nerve sheath tumor. I took him everywhere with me. Before medical school, I took him to my firehouse/ambulance bay. If I went out for fast food or went on errands, Chance was riding shotgun. I even snuck him into the dorms in undergrad for my friends to hang out with him when I was in class. In medical school, I'd study outside on a college campus my program was based out of. Both chance, undergrad students, and medical students all had a good time interacting with each other. He made a lot of first responders and students happy over his lifetime. As I ended my 2nd year of medical school and started preparing for boards, he started to limp. After a couple misdiagnoses, he was found to have a very large peripheral nerve sheath tumor. It was inoperable and the chances of medical or radiological help were scant. I found a pilot program using monoclonal antibodies on dogs and a center a state away that would perform stereotactic radiation on his leg. Emma's Foundation was one of many organizations along with dozens of friends and strangers that amassed an astounding amount of money to pay for his treatment. The tumor receded in size and he happily ran around during COVID quartantine days with my Godson, Goddaughter, and their dog while I studied for my second board exam. Clinicals had been cancelled so I got to be with him night and day for almost the entire year in a serene country setting while I studied and cared for the kids along with my best friend. He ended up developing lung metastases after about a year and a half and I eventually had to put him to sleep. He met thousands of people, and kept ME going throughout a very hard time in my life. I am so unbelievable grateful for the time we had at the end. We went for burgers and ice cream daily and played with the kids. It was truly an amazing year. The world had fallen apart, but we were in a lovely place having an unforgettable time together. He died right before I became a physician. I swore I'd never be able to go through that pain again. Last May, my girlfriend was having a hard time with depression, and I made an impulsive choice to take her to the pound. We found two little puppies who appear to a black lab and whippet mix that were inseparable. I naturally eyed the boy, the one with the dominant black lab appearance. His sister wailed as we took him to play with us, my girlfriend gave me a look, and the rest is history. We took them home together where they are with her 24/7 while she works online. We named them Ash and Misty like the trainers from Pokemon because they are always antagonizing each other. I'm finishing residency in a few weeks and at least Ash, maybe Misty depending on her training progress, will be present in my office as therapy dogs for the children I tend to. <br><br>I want to say from the bottom of my heart you did a tremendous act of service and mercy, giving me that opportunity. I was severely burned out from being a firefighter and medic for 12 years, and had a very cynical view on life. It was horrible when Chance got sick, but the overwhelming amount of help we got from strangers saved my soul. I'm a happy, grateful person again. <br><br>One day when my practice is established and thriving I will be paying back every organizational and personal donation ten times over. I decided that years ago and have never waivered in my plans to do so. <br><br>Thank you for the mercy you showed me, and Chance. Thank you for the incredible time we had together. God bless. <br><br>Photos attached include Chance, and then our current dogs Ash and Misty! <br><br>P.S. PLEASE get pet insurance. My life would have been so much easier. These two knuckleheads have had a couple ER visits and it has been such a blessing having insurance. I wouldn't have had to sell most of my possessions and beg people for help with Chance if I had had it! <br><br>

I volunteered with DREAM in 2012, and I was impressed by the organizations focus and capacity in addressing a key issue in the DR: low levels of literacy. DREAM is committed to helping students with the Callejon community, acquire the reading skills they need to be successful in school. I personally witnessed, during their summer camp, how many students who started out reading only a few words, left camp able and excited to read entire books! Even more importantly, DREAM invests in training local teachers to do this work. I admire this focus on local sustainability because it is so necessary, but also often missing from international nonprofits.