Yesterday, Iris went into surgery.
It’s something we knew would be necessary from the beginning. The problem was never the decision. It was the timing.
When we rescued her, her body wouldn’t have handled it. The leishmaniasis was active, and pushing her into surgery at that point would have put her at serious risk. So we didn’t.
We focused on getting her stable first. That took time. There wasn’t any way around it.
By the time we brought her into the hospital yesterday, things had changed. She was stronger. The risks were no longer the same. That’s when it becomes possible to move forward without gambling with her life.
Even then, everything was checked again before going in. You don’t assume anything in a case like this.
The surgery itself went as expected. The injury in her leg was repaired, and once it was over, all that was left was to wait for her to come out of anesthesia.
That moment matters more than anything else.
She woke up calmly. Stable. Back with us.
That’s when you know you’re past the hardest part.
Now the focus shifts. Recovery takes time, and we’ll stay with her through it. But the part we couldn’t do before has now been done.
And that changes what her life looks like from here.
If you were part of getting her to this point, you’re part of this result.
Share her story. Let people see what this work actually looks like.
And do it knowing that you helped make this possible.
— Viktor