By the founder of the Bria Fund, Susan Gingrich.
On April 19, 2005, my husband, Jim Shurskis, and I said good-bye to our precious nine month old Birman, Brianna Jamie (Bria). Dealing with what my vet knew was wet FIP was traumatic and frightening, as well as depressing. We didn’t know anyone who ever had a cat with FIP. We did all we could for her, and her personality wouldn’t let go without a fight. She lived an additional four months. When we buried her, I promised that her short, little life would not be forgotten. That promise was the impetus for creation of the Bria Fund for FIP Research.
I wrote a proposal, and sent it to the Winn Feline Foundation in July of 2005. Shortly after sending it, I was invited to a Winn executive meeting in Pittsburgh, PA., to discuss my ideas. I received a letter dated November 7, 2005, notifying me that the foundation agreed to add the Bria Fund as a stipulated donation vehicle. That meant that donations to it could only be used for FIP research. On November 18, 2005, Winn announced the fund at an international cat show in Foster City, CA.
While I was waiting for Winn to reply, I discovered that many people around the world also had cats die of suspected FIP. There was an established FIP help group on Yahoo, called FIP Cat Support. Along with the moderator’s assistance, a few others and I created the FIP Fighters’ Group on Facebook. We were FIP sisters. Once Winn was on board, I had knowledgeable vets and researchers to help with my learning curve-I shared what I learned. One researcher, whom I could call the “Father of FIP Research”, also one of the kindest people I know, Dr. Niels Peterson, taught and helped me immensely.
Raising money for FIP research in the early days was quite a challenge. Who wanted to donate to research for a disease when cats died? Just as I believe that God gave Bria to me for a purpose, I also believe that he blessed the Bria Fund. Through our small core of FIP sisters, aided by social media, knowledge of the Bria Fund grew.
My first Winn FIP Symposium was at the annual Cat Fancier’s Association’s Conference in Virginia. I met some of my FIP sisters in person there, as well as meeting Dr. Vicki Thayer. She became one of my staunchest supporters. An excellent program, but also an opportunity to plan with my sisters to advance the coffers of the Bria Fund. As word spread, so too did donations. Within a couple of years, the first Bria funded project happened.
It was typical for me to work all day at my employment, then come home and work until midnight on the Bria Fund, my true labor of love. Jim and my week-ends, vacation and personal time were mostly spent at cat shows, or other events, educating about FIP and raising money for the Bria Fund. I paid for travel, hotel expenses, items for donations and other costs-100% of donations went to the Bria Fund. After Jim and I retired in 2015, Dr. Thayer, Winn’s Executive Director, authorized Winn to reimburse me for some of my expenses.
My original proposal to Winn included creation of an FIP Awareness Week, the week of April 19th. The week didn’t happen, but on the 10th Anniversary of the Bria Fund, Congressman Jimmy Duncan of TN entered a
statement into the Congressional Record declaring November 18th as National Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Awareness, Research and Education Day. Although, it was intended for the US, Bria Fund supporters outside of our country claimed it as theirs too. It was also a somber recognition of all the precious cats taken by this evil disease, and the people who loved them too.
Many of you are aware of the tremendous progress in all aspects of FIP. EveryCat Health Foundation is doing what we used to do via the Bria Fund website, sharing Bria Fund’s and FIP research progress. At one point in my life I thought that not enough researchers would be interested in it, but I was so happy to be proven wrong. Now, there isn’t enough money for all the credible researchers interested in FIP. No, the total puzzle still isn’t solved, and we can’t prevent it yet, but we aren’t done! Please continue to donate to the Bria Fund, so that one day FIP can be eliminated!
Looking back over the past 20 years, I see the faces of people who helped me so much. Some of them I’m still in touch with, some I don’t know what happened to them, and some are in Heaven with their FIP and other fur kids. I have the photos of kitties who passed from FIP, those living with it, and more recently FIP survivors stored on my desktop. So many memories, and fortunately at 77, I still have my mind and am pretty healthy overall.
I have kept my promise to Bria, and I can just imagine her in Heaven greeting other newcomers and saying, “Hi I’m Bria, you know, that Bria”. As far as the Gingrich-Shurskis clan, she may soon have some competition as leader. My remaining kitty is Cassandraa Brie (Cassie), also a Birman and 20. Despite Third Stage Renal Failure, HCM, mild IBD, and some cognitive issues, she is just as feisty and bossy as Bria was. I pray that God allows Cassie to stay with me much longer, but she will go on her own terms. Then, watch out Bria!
About the Author:
Susan E Gingrich MHS., is a Commonwealth of PA retiree. She refers to herself as a recovering bureaucrat and proud, former public servant. She is a freelance writer and Christian activist. Currently living in Loudon, TN with Cassie her senior Birman cat, she is planning to return to PA to be closer to family and friends.
