Sophy has never been really sick, and has never really been a patient at SASH North Ryde but she has been there many times.
Sophy had a big sister Ruby, and back at the start of the year Ruby was diagnosed with Lymphoma.
We first become aware of something being wrong when she went blind almost over night, her lymph nodes also swelled around her neck. It was later confirmed that she had the B cell lymphoma and Dr Spela Bavcar explained everything to us very well that was easy to comprehend in this stressful time.
We did many trips to SASH for treatment, we went with chemotherapy, and she was on other drugs, so every 3 weeks we where there for chemo, a week after that blood tests, then 2 weeks chemo, then a week for blood test. Ruby did 5 chemo sessions and most of the time Sophy was by her side, Ruby did go in to remission and was quite good after that.
Well Sophy was a 6 week old puppy when she first come to the family, Ruby was her big sister and looked after her, but unfortunately in August 2023 Ruby’s lymphoma had come back when Sophy was just 2 years of age. And this time it came back strong, again Sophy was by her side and did the trips to SASH and got to know everyone there at the SASH Cancer Centre just as much as Ruby did, from the Doctors Dr Spela Bavcar and Dr Veronika Langova, and at the reception desk with Jess, Kathleen and Vanessa and even maintenance Arthur, all very good people, very supportive.
On the 18th of September, Ruby came inside and collapsed, Sophy and I got her down to SASH as quick as we could, but just after we pulled up, Ruby went in to cardiac arrest, The SASH team did all they could for her, but to no avail.
Things did not just end there, SASH helped me organize Ruby’s cremation and gave me some extra trinkets like Ruby’s paw and nose prints.
The loss of Ruby really affected Sophy, she stopped playing with her toys, and she would wonder around looking for Ruby. Its been almost 4 months now and she is only just starting to come back out of her state
