Gibby is a black Labrador-Boxer mix who was rescued by the Landefeld family about 4 years ago.
Maya Landefeld, the youngest of the Landefeld sisters says, “He was always a really healthy and active pup. He would always play soccer in the yard with us; he would always run around the house.”
Just a few weeks ago, the Landefeld family received terrible news about Gibby.
Maya explains, “We found out the Wednesday before Christmas that he had Lymphoma.”
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time, but Gibby is still giving his all, doing everything he can to keep his humans smiling.
Maya says, “One of my favorite memories right now is – we get our dogs stockings, and my mom was pulling his stocking down from the hook and he ran up to her and jumped up and got all excited and we were all so happy because he was feeling better.”
Right now, Gibby is on steroids that are slowing the cancer down and helping him feel better, but eventually, he will need chemotherapy which is not something the family can afford out of pocket.
“We were like – we could always fundraise, cause we’ve seen fundraisers all over the place for everything. Fundraisers are such a great way to get people involved and have everyone pitch in to help out," Maya says.
Maya was determined to help Gibby. She and her sisters came up with the idea of a Run-A-Thon. She plans to run as many miles as she can over a 12-hour period on January 24th.
“I feel like I love running already and if I’m doing it for something that’s personal to me, I feel like it’s going to be even more special," Maya explains.
For a family that has opened their heart and their home to over a dozen animals, this fundraiser means everything.
To donate to the Landefeld family's Run-A-Thon fundraiser, click here.