Eleven years ago, a small fluffy kitten named Simba entered the family from the UK and forever changed the life of their young son, Cian. Born prematurely and diagnosed with autism, secondary immune deficiency syndrome, and degenerative bone and soft tissue changes, Cian found solace in the presence of Simba. The kitten seemed to know exactly what Cian needed, providing comfort and support that no one else could. Simba became Cian’s guardian angel. When the boy stops breathing, Simba rushes to alert someone. When Cian was worried or scared, Simba would sit in his arms and purr loudly, calming the boy. Their bond was unbreakable until everything changed.
One tragic day, Simba escaped through an open door and was tragically hit by a car. Cian’s mother received a message from a neighbor alerting her to the accident. She rushed to find Simba, gently picked him up, and drove to the hospital. Despite his pain, Simba purred loudly in the car, comforting Cian’s mother.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the experienced doctors who assessed Simba advised the family to euthanize him and get a new cat for their son. They saw no point in attempting the complicated operations that would be required to save Simba’s life. Simba’s owner raced back home to pick up Cian so he could say goodbye. Heartbroken, Cian begged the doctors to save his beloved cat.
Simba, realizing that his boy needed him, mustered all his strength and crawled to Cian, rubbing his face and purring loudly. It was a moment that Cian’s mother described as the most heartbreaking of her life. The nurse who witnessed the scene advised the family to contact a world-class orthopedic veterinarian, Dr. Fitzpatrick.
The skilled surgeons at Dr. Fitzpatrick’s clinic immediately put Simba on the operating table. While they could not guarantee the cat’s survival, they were unwilling to give up on him. Simba spent seven weeks in their care, undergoing numerous bone reconstruction surgeries. Gradually, he began to improve, even starting to eat on his own.
Cian and his mother made the long journey to the clinic, which was an 8-hour round trip to visit Simba as often as possible. “He is my friend, and right now he needs me. He needs to see us more often,” Cian told his mother. Simba proved to be an incredibly courageous cat, never lunging or hissing at anyone during his stay at the hospital. He endured all the painful procedures with grace.
The story ends happily, with Simba fully recovered and back at home with his loving family. This miracle cat not only changed Cian’s life but defied the odds, demonstrating the power of love and determination.