Maximus 1 Maximus 2 Maximus 3

This is Maximus

Maximus is my beloved 11-year-old corgi who was recently diagnosed with a thyroid tumor and needs urgent surgery.

Funding Progress: $4,043 / $6,000

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This page gathers everything in one place so people can follow Maximus’ journey and support him if they feel called. You can explore ways to help, see ongoing updates, and read detailed information about Maximus and his medical situation.

You can support him by donating to his Waggle or GoFundMe and I’ve opened a RedBubble with Maximus Merch to help support our goal. Stickers and magnets are available now, and if you’d like other products, please let me know.

We’ve also applied for grants. If you know of any that might be relevant, I’d appreciate the information.

Thank you for your love and support! ♥︎

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Updates

January 17, 2026: I know it's been a minute; Maximus has been busy recovering and I've been busy with my own medical stuff. His swelling is almost gone so we're hoping this was just a little hiccup.
We're a little more than two weeks away from his surgery date and we're hoping not to have to reschedule. We really appreciate all of the support we've had so far, so please keep sharing his page and fundraiser links. We couldn't do this without you! ♥
We also have a new GoFundMe up! This one isn't through Waggle because apparently they're having some internal issue with mirroring the campaigns, but that's an option again for donations.
Also, also, if you notice anything odd with the webpage functionality please let me know, I've been making updates and have had some challenges getting the code to work properly so please bear with me. ♥

January 10, 2026: On the night of the 8th Maximus had to be taken to Dove Lewis emergency animal hospital. The right side of his face had begun swelling and getting worse and he was diagnosed with an infection; he has an appointment tomorrow with his regular vet so we can try to determine the cause. We're hoping that this doesn't interfere with his currently scheduled surgery. Overall he's acting very normal and like himself, is face is just a bit swollen. We'll keep you all updated.
In the meantime keep sharing his pages; the new GoFundMe isn't set up yet, but I'll add the links here as soon as it is. We truly appreciate all your support. ♥︎

January 8, 2026: We got the new Waggle campaign set up! Even with the hiccup we've raised over $3,000 so far which is fantastic!
I'm really hoping we can raise enough in the next couple of week so that we don't have to push his surgery back; please keep sharing this page/his fundraiser page(s)! We're so grateful for all your support. ♥︎

January 5, 2026: Unfortunately was a misunderstanding on my part; the funds in the Waggle and GoFundMe are not separate which puts us at $3,480. This is still over halway toward our goal, and I'm hopeful we can raise the rest of the funds in the next couple of weeks so that we can keep Maximus' surgery appointment. I will likely have to start another fundraising campaign and will post this once I get confirmation from Waggle about best next steps. Thank you for your continued support. ♥︎

January 2, 2026: What a way to start the New Year! The Waggle is fully funded and that puts us at over $5,000 toward our goal!! I'm so incredibly touched by everyone's generosity, thank you so much to everyone who has supported us through this process in helping make this a reality and assuring Maximus gets the care he needs. ♥︎

December 31, 2025: Happy New Year, everyone! Maximus is scheduled to have his surgery on February 2nd! We're very hopeful that we'll have raised the remainder of the funds by then, if we need to reschedule I'll post an update. Thank you again for everyone's support. ♥︎

December 30, 2025: We were awarded a $600 grant from the Onyx & Breezy Foundation! Including that and all the donations so far, we're now at over $4,000 which means we're over 2/3 of the way to our goal! That's amazing!! We're close enough that I'm going to talk to the vet about possibly getting him on the schedule for his surgery and will post an update if/when that happens. We're so incredibly grateful for everyone who has donated and shared his pages! We couldn't do this without you! ♥︎

December 25, 2025: We've officially gotten halfway to our goal!! We've raised over $3,000 so far! Thank you so much for your support, everyone has been so kind and generous and we're so incredibly grateful. We're really hoping to raise the rest of the funds soon so that we can get Maximus the care he needs!
And Happy Howlidays everyone! We hope you're having a joyous winter season, no matter how you celebrate! ♥︎

December 23, 2025: We were denied a grant from Frosted Faces, but we've raised over $2,800 as of today! That's amazing!! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and shared, your support means the world to us. ♥︎

December 22, 2025: I put in two more grant applications this morning; with the exception of Help-A-Pet which requires me to print and physically mail in documentation, I've exhausted all the leads I have on grants. If anyone has any information about applicable grants, I'd apprecite it!
We've also been busy posting fliers locally, and no matter how you found us, thank you for your support! ♥︎

December 19, 2025: We went and posted about 20 fliers today! If you found us through a flier, thank you for your consideration! Thank you again for all your support. ♥︎

December 16, 2025: We were awarded a $200 grant from The Mosby Foundation today! Thank you so much!!

December 15, 2025: We've raised $2,103! Thank you so much to all our donors and supporters!
I'm working on making some fliers to post at local businesses, if anyone has recommendations of where to put these up please let me know!
I'm also still applying for grants, today we applied to Violet's Friends, Hope Mending Hearts, STARelief, and Frosted Faces. I'm always open to suggestions of other grants he might qualify for, a list of grants we've explored is at the bottom of the page.
Thank you again for being here. ♥︎

December 13, 2025: We've raised just over $2,000 so far which means we're officially at a third of our goal!! Thank you so much for everyone's support. ♥︎

December 11, 2025: I know it's been a minute since I've posted an update, everything has been pretty quiet around here but we did talk to someone from The Mosby Foundation today, so hopefully we hear some good news soon! We're still looking for and applying to grants and I'm asking as many people as I can to share his information. We truly are relying on our community to help Maximus get the care he needs, and we're so grateful to everyone who has supported him so far. ♥︎

December 4, 2025: We were awarded a $400 grant from Lexi's Legacy today! Thank you so much!!
With that, we've raised almost $2,000 so far, and are just shy of a third of our goal! That's incredible!
Thank you again to all our generous donors and everyone who has shared his info, we couldn't do this without your support! ♥︎

December 1, 2025: I've been busy applying for grants—we've put in applications for Live Like Roo, The Mosby Foundation, Lexi's Legacy, and The Peanut Fund and I've downloaded the applications for Help-A-Pet, Molly's Hope, and Onyx and Breezy. We also applied for Bow Wow Buddies but apparently he doesn't qualify. If anyone knows of other grant foundations that Maximus might qualify for, please let me know!
Also, a milestone! We've officially raised over $500! Thank you so much to everone who has donated and shared his pages. We're so grateful for your support. ♥︎

November 29, 2025: Thank you so much to all our generous donors so far! Your support is greatly appreciated. ♥︎

November 25, 2025: RedBubble is live!! We've got adorable Maximus stickers and magnets in 5 designs; if you're interested in any of the designs on other merch please let me know! Although the profit margin is pretty low, all proceeds will go directly to getting Maximus the care he needs.

November 22, 2025: Updates will be posted here.

More Information

About Maximus

Maximus beat cancer once and now this beloved boy needs urgent surgery to save his life and keep brightening the days of everyone he meets with a wiggle and a smile. He has been with me since he was eight weeks old, providing steadfast companionship through years of change. He is my heart and my home.

Max is a sweet, gentle soul who loves snacks, walks, playtime, and naps. He connects easily with people, sharing his charm, humor, and love—he believes everyone is his friend.

A couple months ago, I found a small lump in the middle of his neck. After exams, cystology, and a consultation with a specialist at OREV, he was diagnosed with a thyroid tumor. He still looks and acts completely healthy, but the tumor is growing, and thyroid tumors can spread quickly if not removed early. Surgery is the best way to give him a future.

Maximus needs urgent surgery, costing over $5,000–$6,000, far beyond my means as someone living on a fixed income due to disability. Your support will help him recover and continue living a joyful life.

If you’re able to help us reach his surgery goal or share this with someone who might, I would be incredibly grateful. Maximus has been my heart for so long, and I’m doing everything I can to give him the best chance at recovery and more happy years.


Medical Summary

Primary concern:
Right-sided ventral neck mass (~4 cm) near the thyroid gland. Previous cytology (11/11/25) was nondiagnostic due to low cellularity and hemorrhage. Specialist evaluation strongly suspects a thyroid tumor.

Recommended treatment:
Thyroidectomy as soon as possible. The surgeon believes the tumor is operable without preoperative CT, though chest radiographs and bloodwork are required. A biopsy will be performed after removal to confirm the exact tumor type.

Why surgery is urgent:
Thyroid tumors can metastasize rapidly. Early removal significantly improves prognosis, and the mass was detected earlier than in typical cases, which is positive.

Estimated cost:
$5,132–$6,651
(includes surgery, anesthesia, hospitalization, monitoring, lab work, radiographs, and biopsy.)

Relevant history:
In September 2024, Maximus had a soft tissue sarcoma removed from his right front foot. It was grade 2, incompletely excised, and has not recurred more than a year later.

He continues to be his delightful, vibrant, loving self, and I’m committed to keeping him healthy and happy.

Grants

Below is a list of grants we have applied for or explored to help support Maximus' surgery: