Celebrating Life - Grissom

Grissom

Grissom was born March 13, 2009 a healthy, flashy fawn boxer puppy with a zest for life. It was love at first sight for me; we bonded instantly and he became my soul mate. Grissom played tirelessly; his favorite toy was his squeaky basketball. The incessant squeaking would nearly drive me crazy, but it also made me laugh. He loved to chase toys in the backyard and pick on his big sister, my chocolate lab Prairie.

At nine months old, I noticed that my beautiful boxer baby was gaining weight and his stomach took on an odd shape. He was drinking a lot of water and throwing up frequently. I thought maybe I was feeding him too much and that maybe he was drinking too fast. A veterinarian detected a heart murmur and referred us to Dr. Merrilee Small, a board certified veterinary cardiologist.

I was terrified after reading about boxers and heart disease, but gathered my wits and took Grissom for his first appointment with Dr. Small on January 14, 2010. It was a long appointment as Dr. Small and her team did diagnostic tests. By the time I was called back into the exam room, I was a bundle of nerves. Grissom was not in the room; it was just Dr. Small and her tech, Dani.

Dr. Small had bad news. Grissom had a grade V/VI heart murmur and was diagnosed with Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia, a disease more frequently found in Labrador Retrievers than boxers. I remember Dr. Small telling me that the disease would definitely shorten Grissom's life. She gave him six months to two years to live. I began to cry and Dani handed me the tissue box.

After checking out, they brought Grissom to the front counter to me. I threw my arms around his neck and wondered how I would ever let him go. Then I cried the whole way home, sometimes so hard I could barely see to drive.

Grissom fought hard against TVD for fifteen months. Dr. Small and her team of Dani, Lisa, Adria, and Lily were there for us every step of the way. They squeezed him in whenever he needed an emergency tap. They answered my e-mails right away and frequently had to play with his medication dosage. On the last night of Grissom's life, they worked until eight o'clock trying to make him more comfortable. He passed away April 21, 2011 with me by his side. Letting him go was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

I still miss him everyday. There is a Grissom-sized hole in my heart that will always be there. Dr. Small and her team were my angels and have continued to keep touch. In fact, Dani even came to the school where I teach for Career Day last year.

Just this past week, I got a new boxer puppy. She can never take Grissom's place, but will have her own special niche in my heart. Her name is Mariska Faith Merrilee, the Merrilee after Dr. Small, one of Grissom's special angels.

-In loving memory of Grissom Nicholas Durango
March 13, 2009-April 21, 2011

Donate Today!

• You can make a difference!