SHAHS - Super Hero's Animal Hydrocephalus Society's Annual T-shirt Fundraiser

Super Hero's Animal Hydrocephalus Society - SHAHS

The story behind how SHAHS came to be is heartfelt & lengthy. What is most important to know though, is how it started. It began with the courage & the will to live of one very special cat named Super Hero & his mother, Lisa, who fought beside him, giving him her undying love. Time & time again, she demonstrated her unwillingness to give up on him & as a result, the entire veterinary team revealed incredible dedication to saving him. There would not be this beautiful story, nor a rescue society named Super Hero's Animal Hydrocephalus Society (SHAHS) in his honor, without all of these pieces miraculously coming together.

Hero was born with Hydrocephalus (Hydro) which is an excess buildup of fluid in the brain. Over time, this causes damage to the brain & a loss of function. Hero didn't have many complications until reaching 1 ½ years old, when he began experiencing life threatening crises. Lisa sought out the expertise of an experienced veterinary neurosurgeon, who believed Hero's only chance at survival was undergoing brain surgery to implant a human pediatric shunt in his brain. The shunt is designed to drain the excess fluid into the abdomen, where it is then absorbed by the body. On February 26th, 2015, surgery was successfully performed & against all odds, & despite numerous life-threatening setbacks, Super Hero survived, living up to his name! Hero yet again exceeded all expectations when on May 29th, 2018, he underwent a second life-saving brain surgery due to a brain hemorrhage & once again, came through with flying colors!



As word of his triumph spread, families, rescues, shelters, veterinarians & other neurosurgeons from all over the world began reaching out for guidance on Hydrocephalic animals. All of the SHAHS staff were determined to give these special animals a chance at life & we soon realized that there was a huge need for information, assistance & support for more Hydros to be saved. Most were unaware of the many affordable treatment options available to them, which has led to so many being unnecessarily put down. Sadly, it is not widely known that many Hydro animals, especially felines, which is what we specialize in, can live full lives with their disorder being completely managed with fairly inexpensive medications. In these cases, no surgery is required & yet, due to this lack of knowledge, many cats diagnosed with Hydro are still being euthanized. Another obstacle identified by SHAHS was the financial inability of many to afford neurological care, so a Financial Aid Fund was established for the purpose of offering grants for consults, testing, medications, emergency care, hospital admissions & some surgical procedures. This fund is available to all animals with a diagnosis of Hydrocephalus and/or any neurological disorder.SHAHS received their official 501c3 Non-Profit status on July 20, 2015 but was already rescuing Hydro kittens before that time. Since April 2015, hundreds of Hydrocephalic or neurologically impaired animals have received assistance from SHAHS in one of many ways: from physical rescue & acceptance into SHAHS, grant monies (for treatment or referrals to specialists), general information, or verbal guidance. And help is always available by phone or online at all hours, no matter where in the world you are, to assist any animal or owner in a time of crisis.





Currently, Super Hero, Finn, Stitch, Lilo & Mufasa reside on premises with Lisa & her family. Others, such as Mittens, Pickles, Natalie, Cara & Toby, are the latest SHAHS kitties who are in permanent foster in various states in the USA. Awareness is growing & so is SHAHS! We are a sanctuary rescue, meaning any cat or kitten accepted into SHAHS, remains with us in permanent foster for their entire life & all medical expenses will be covered by the rescue for their lifetime. Daily, we receive calls, emails or messages for assistance, whether it be to relinquish an animal, a need for financial aide or guidance and/or assistance on how to care for a hydro animal.

Heartbreakingly, we also lose a lot of cats & kittens that we try to help, but what keeps us moving forward is knowing that we gave them love, full bellies of food & a home with a warm bed, that they never would have gotten if they'd been immediately euthanized upon entering a shelter or vet's office! Despite our grief over their losses, our mission to give every single Hydro cat across the globe a chance at life through actual rescue, education, guidance or grant money, will not end.

There is a desperate need for us to grow, to be able to accept more cats into SHAHS or to be able to award more financial aide to rescues, shelters & families, but with current monthly expenditures for medical care & medications over $10,000 in some months, we are in desperate need of raising funds!! We cannot do what we do without your help, so please support our rescue sanctuary by purchasing a shirt or making a donation. Thank you for all of your continued support!

Fighting Hydrocephalus in Animals ..... 4 Paws At A Time!!

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https://www.instagram.com/superheroshahs https://www.twitter.com/superheroshahs https://www.facebook.com/SuperHeroTheHydrocephalicCat