Reviving River

My name is river. I am a one year old lab and German shepherd mix. I was rescued by a loving family when I was six weeks old. My new family had just suffered a terrible loss of a loved one and needed some joy in their lives, especially my new brother who is diagnosed with autism and Addison's disease. My mommy says since I've been here my new brother is much more happy, talks more, and is going to school everyday and she calls me his therapy dog . My family says I'm a ray of sunshine in their lives and my mommy says I'm her best friend  . At seven months old I was taken to a free clinic put on by the military to be spayed but during the procedure something went wrong. I suffered from aspiration which caused my stomach acid to burn the inside of my nose. I became very ill so my family borrowed money so I could get the best treatment. My family took me to Cornell University where I was diagnosed with a rare condition called Nasopharyngeal stenosis which means I cannot breathe or smell out of my nose as the burning has caused extra scar tissue growth. My family has gotten help from the Mosby foundation which is a non profit animal charity, friends, and family to help pay for my medical expenses. My medical expenses has totaled 10,000 dollars so far and consisted of diagnostics, procedures, and follow ups. I have already been to New Jersey twice and Manhattan once; these trips were four hours each way. Now the scar tissue has turned to bone and I require another special doctor in New Jersey who will remove the bone so another doctor can place permanent stents so I am able to breathe out of my nose. However, this is another hardship for my family as they have to travel several hours, missing work, and taking their other children out of school for my 6,000 dollar procedure.  Thank you for reading about me.