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Rally for Nimbus
Started by: Nicole Truman & Jeffrey Hatley
Rally for Nimbus
We are raising money to cover the emergency orthopedic surgery our baby llama, Nimbus Thunderkat, received at Cornell University Hospital for a broken leg. This surgery and the additional medical care during his recovery cost approx $7000 total. We are asking for your help to alleviate some of this cost. Currently Nimbus is in his second month of physical therapy to strengthen the muscles and tendons in his leg in hopes that he will regain full use and confirmation of his leg. All donations go to the care that he has received and will continue to receive. In gratitude of your support, all donations of $25 or more will receive a digital photo of Nimbus. Thanks for your support!
Latest Update
Big News!!! Nimbus is now going splint free all day! We are over the moon with how well he is recovering and as you can see he is feeling pretty good too. Nimbus knows his limits really well and has earned our trust to go support free in the next stages of his recovery. Thanks to all of your amazing support we have almost finished paying for Nimbus' original surgery and 10 day stay at Cornell hospital. Our fundraising efforts have included: 1. Plumfund 2. Chocolate Llamapops 3. Financial Assistance from Cornell 4. Offline and In person Donations at the farm. We are only $703 dollars away from our goal! Let's keep rallying for Nimbus!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
June 20 at 5:38pm
The clouds finally parted and the sun appeared yesterday, and we took advantage of our good fortune to turnout Nimbus sans all supports for 7 hours!! He did a great job of walking around without any spunk, of which he is known for. Nimbus is making improvements slowly, his left leg is still pretty lax and he is compensating with his right leg, which hopefully in time all will be corrected. As you can also see we sheared him! I didn't think that he could look any more handsome.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
June 4 at 6:53am
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The first 30 days of Nimbus's physical therapy are over! Foolishly we thought we could just remove his splint at this point and gradually give him more freedom to roam. However, this is not the case. Over the next 30 days we are to increase the amount of time Nimbus goes each day without his splint. So far we have been walking him for up to 2 hours a day. Starting this week we will increase this time by an hour or so every few days, until gradually by the end of the month he should not have to wear his splint at all and get to have some freedom in a smaller fenced off area. In honor of this achievement, I will be giving away - 2 tickets to Wildwoodstock music fest at the Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY this weekend, to the next person to donate $25 or more to this fundraiser. To all subsequent donors of $25 or more I will email you a digital copy of one of these professional photos of Nimbus in thanks for your support.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
May 30 at 5:19pm
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Nimbus is making great strides daily - no pun intended. We continue to head up to the farm every day and walk Nimbus for 1-2 hours plus some stretches. He has slowly begun to put more weight on his toes, even taking an occasional step with all of his weight on his toes!! He still has two more weeks of physical therapy to go, hopefully by then he will be able to support himself on his foot instead of his ankle. We know he is itching for more freedom. As Nimbus's physical therapy draws to a close so will our fundraiser, we still have a little ways to go to reach our goal. We are hoping to reach our target amount by the time he gets his splint removed for the very last time. Please consider making a contribution or sharing Nimbus's story if you are unable. All the best, Jeff and Nicole. Also a shout out to Laura of LTG photography for this wonderful photo - you really captured Nimbus's spirit!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
May 23 at 6:47pm
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Grace Papaseraphim — 6 years ago
Hope to meet you soon!!! You got this Nimbus!!!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
May 21 at 7:33am
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Nicole Truman — 6 years ago
Haven't updated in a while but we've been so busy with Nimbus's Physical Therapy. Jeff and I are fully dedicated to his recovery and spend a few hours walking him and doing some stretches every day. As you can see his is pretty pooped out but it is well worth it; he is making great progress. Thanks for the pick Trina!
Update: Nimbus Physical Therapy Day 4- Nimbus's tendon and muscles are still pretty lax, and he continues to walk on his fetlock joint. We are noticing more movement and rotation in his foot day by day, which is encouraging. Today we are going to try a TENS unit on his tricep to stimulate his leg more in hopes for more muscle contraction. On a side note: Doesn't Nimbus look good in zebra print?! Thanks to Teri at Wunsapana for her donation!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
May 10 at 4:53am
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Nicole Truman — 6 years ago
Folks can see more pictures and videos of Nimbus during his recovery on Instagram @Nimbusthellama. Check it out!
Update: Nimbus has had his hard cast and pins removed and is about to begin a month long rehab of his muscles and tendons. He is wearing a pvc pipe splint (pictured) for support and will have it removed for 1-2 hours everyday in order to rehab his leg and re-wrapped afterwards to prevent re-injury. I will be making a wish list for the type of tape(s) we need if folks would like to donate; re-wrapping his whole leg every day, we will go through a lot. He has severe laxity from prolonged wearing of a cast and hopefully with extensive physical therapy he will regain regular function of his leg. Please continue to share Nimbus' journey and support if you are able - we have a long month ahead of us and we really appreciate your support.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
May 5 at 4:09am
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Nimbus Update: Nimbus had been walking on his fetlock joint (ankle) and hyper extending his knee which one, is not ideal alignment of his leg and two, seemed to be more painful and uncomfortable to walk on. With the help of Mandak Vet's Dr. Emily and Suzanne and the Amazing Gary of Dakota Ridge, they fashioned a splint out of pvc pipe. His full leg is now braced in hopes of correcting his alignment and provide better healing for his leg. In his latest x-rays, you can see the pins placed above and below the broken bone as well as new bone growth near the break. These additional visits from the vet to ensure the best healing for Nimbus are adding up and we appreciate all of your continued support.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 26 at 4:55pm
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Here are farm cam photos of Nimbus being treated by Mandak Vet. Nimbus had been walking on his fetlock joint and hyperextending his knee after his last cast change. In an attempt to correct this problem, the Amazing Gary fashioned a splint for him out of PVC pipe and Dr. Emily and Suzanne wrapped it into place. Hopefully now he'll start putting more weight on his toes.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 22 at 9:19am
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Nimbus has been back from his cast change for about a week now. He has been quite reserved since then. He appeared to be in more pain than usual and was not walking around as much. We had the vet come to look at him to make sure nothing was wrong. He got another set of x-rays, which showed no new breakage but more bone growth!! Nimbus was given some pain medication to deal with the affects of his procedure. He is moving around a little better now, but is still quite reserved. Hopefully his spirit will return soon. Thanks to Jenny for this wonderful photo!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 18 at 6:44pm
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Nimbus went to Cornell for his cast change procedure yesterday, we were there all day but we are pretty happy with the results. The doctors were pleased with how he is recovering so far, the only thing they were displeased with is his lazy stance on his injured leg, he will have to retrain those muscles once his cast is removed. From his x-rays they could see new bone forming between the broken areas. They reset his leg in the hopes that the bone will grow back in a straight line. When they removed his cast they noted that his wound is healing nicely but still not completely closed. He will remain on antibiotics to ward off any possible infection. Nimbus will return back in 4 weeks time, if his bones have grown back completely his hard cast will be removed and replaced with a softer splint, if not he will continue to have a hard cast until he is healed. We couldn't be happier with his progress so far. Thank you for your continued support and well wishes.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 12 at 5:07pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
Nimbus has been hobbling around more and in noticeably more pain since his cast change. Mandak Vet and the wonderful Dr. Emily did an xray on his leg today just in case and new bone is already forming since the other day!! They gave him more pain meds to help with all this healing.
Nimbus goes back to Cornell tomorrow for his next procedure; the changing of his cast. He will be put under anesthesia during this procedure and it will take multiple hours. We will be spending the day in Ithaca; well worth it for this little guy! Nimbus is in great spirits and we are all ready for some good news.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 10 at 7:05pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
Thanks Rita! We'll keep you updated. 😁
Rita Bryand — 7 years ago
I'll be thinking positive thoughts for you!
As you can see, dozens of delicious llama pops have been made so far! We are accepting orders through this Friday, April 7, so be sure to let us know if you want to order any of these huge chocolate pops...they're as delicious as they look! Orders accepted by email to LlamaPops2017@gmail.com. Pops are $3.50 a piece and come in white, dark, or milk chocolate. See the flyer for more details.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 4 at 6:51pm
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Nimbus is longing to be outside and stretch his legs and play with his friends. He is feeling better, which we can observe by heart attack inducing romps in his stall, but the reality is, he will not be able to go out for a couple months yet. He will have to settle for peaks of the world he misses through cracked doors and windows. Easter is almost upon us and our Chocolate Llamapop fundraiser is in full swing - they make a great gift, check 'em out if you haven't already!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
April 1 at 9:19am
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Nimbus is doing a great job putting more weight on his casted (injured) leg, as you can see if you look at the picture on the left closely. He gets a new cast soon, hopefully his wound and bones underneath have done some good healing. From these unfortunate circumstances, we have really developed a bond with Nimbus that we may not have developed, or at least it would have taken longer, if the circumstances weren't what they are. He really trusts us and is more comfortable interacting with us the more we visit and care for him.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 26 at 5:43pm
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Update: I know this may not be the best quality photo, however it really illustrates the amazing bond between Nimbus and his mom, Bella. Llamas normally lie down in a "kush" position, that is with their legs folded under them. Due to Nimbus' broken leg and cast he has been resting with his left leg out in front of him. As you can see here, Bella is resting with her left leg out forward, just like her son. What an amazing bond these two have! He is so lucky to have such a great mom to help him through this difficult time.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 22 at 8:04pm
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After a bitter cold spell, the weather is beginning to get a bit warmer, and Nimbus is getting more comfortable. He's now only wearing two coats, and he's moving around quite comfortably. He's been home for close to three weeks now, and soon he'll be heading back to Cornell for a new cast near the end of the month. He is no longer on pain meds, so we have to watch closely for any signs of extra discomfort or distress, but so far he is moving around well, and his spirits are high. And for anyone near Dakota Ridge, stop into the maternity barn to check out our chocolate llama pops!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 19 at 6:46pm
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Nimbus is getting a little restless since he is not able to go out and play in the snow like his other llama buddies. For now, he will have to settle on watching the crazy antics of his friends from his stall windows. Despite this fact, Nimbus is in good spirits and at times seems to be putting more weight on his bad leg. Of course there are times when he makes us nervous because he jumps up from all his restless energy. Thankfully he knows to land only on his good leg. For more images and videos of Nimbus during his recovery you can follow him on Instagram @Nimbusthellama. We are currently putting together a Chocolate Llamapop fundraiser for the upcoming Easter holiday, more info on that soon; these llamas are good enough to eat! :-) Thanks Again for all of your support and please continue to share Nimbus' story!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 15 at 4:38pm
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Donald Csaposs — 7 years ago
What a sweet brave boy. Praying that he pulls through for the sake of all those who love him. :-)
Update: Due to the sub zero temperatures, we bought Nimbus a new coat. He is now wearing three of them to keep warm. He has to remain in his stall while he is healing and is not able to move around as much in order to get warm. These cold days he seems to be limping more and not putting as much weight on his bad leg. I can only imagine that a broken bone feels more painful when it's so cold. He is taking his medications in stride and is well behaved most of the time when changing his leg bandages. He's been home from the hospital for a week and things are looking good so far.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 12 at 5:43pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
Thanks Becky! He definitely is special. <3
Becky Buckles Willhite — 7 years ago
Prayers continue for this special little guy😊❤
The healing power of llama love... Nimbus must be kept quiet/still while he mends his broken bones. These visits through the door of his stall from his best friend Torrie are really lifting his spirits; he loves her. Photo credit and llama loving healing power credit to Dakota Ridge Farm. <3
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 9 at 4:20am
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Becky Buckles Willhite — 7 years ago
Awwwww..... he looks Wonderful! So happy to see him looking much better.... prayers continue ❤
Nimbus came home to a blustery and chilly couple of days. It's been so cold he has been wearing two coats with a towel in between for extra warmth. Nimbus' recovery involves twice daily inspection of his toes for warmth, discoloration and swelling. We also remove his bandage to palpate his upper legs for swelling and tenderness and to see if any infection is forming under his cast. This is in addition to his regularly administered pain medicine and antibiotics. It's quite a lot for a little llama. He's adapting to his cast and finding new ways to sleep. He is not putting even weight on his legs yet but still finds his way around. He's got quite the spunk and spirit.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 5 at 5:18pm
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After 12 long days at the hospital, Nimbus is finally home at the farm! He is definitely happy to be at home with the rest of the herd. Nimbus will be in a stall with just his mom for the next month before we go back to Cornell to have his hard cast changed out. He is a young llama, and since he is still growing he will have to have further procedures to put a new hard cast on as he grows and his bones heal. He is bright, happy and alert, and has a little hobble, but is getting around well. We're so grateful to Dakota Ridge Farm for looking after him during his recovery. Nimbus could not be in better hands. And to all of you for continued support-we really do appreciate it!
Posted by Nicole Truman &
March 3 at 7:31am
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When we received the call that something happened to Nimbus and we might have to put him down, we felt ill and were instantly crushed. We quickly drove up to the farm we board him at and awaited the vets arrival. Seeing him with part of his foot just dangling was heart wrenching; I couldn’t even go into the room to see him. The vet did all they could on site and suggested that we take him to Cornell Hospital to see if there was anything to be done. We quickly loaded up and drove the 3 hours there. Upon examining him they said his prognosis was fair and that his surgery and recovery time would be lengthy and very expensive. We knew that if he had a chance at all, we wanted to give it to him, even though it would be difficult to afford. This is such a rough start for a baby but we are going to do all we can to save him.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
February 28 at 4:20pm
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Posted by Nicole Truman &
February 25 at 5:22pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
Nimbus is experiencing more pain when walking around. We're hoping his new cast will provide some more comfort.
Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
We visited Nimbus at Cornell today. All good news from the doctor. He will get a new cast put on in 5 days and if everything is healing well underneath, he will get to come home soon after. <3
Nimbus is currently at Cornell getting the best possible care. On Sunday, his lengthy 6+ hour surgery went as well as can be hoped for. He will continue to be monitored 24/7 for the next 10 days or so at Cornell. There are two main concerns for his recovery: first, his open wound was highly susceptible to infection, and since that wound is under a cast, the doctors must now fight an infection they cannot see. They are targeting the area with local antibiotics. Second, there was some initial concern about whether the toes on his injured leg were getting adequate blood flow. This has been closely monitored over the past few days, and the doctors are encouraged by what they're seeing. He is doing well so far and is moving around comfortably. His recovery has only just started, but so far there are many reasons for cautious optimism. We appreciate all the kind thoughts and words for his recovery.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
February 21 at 5:54pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
The above picture is of Nimbus and his momma before his accident enjoying his first snow.
Nimbus is our first llama. He has such an amazing spirit and energy and we were taken with him immediately. We knew that we wanted to be his caretakers, wherever than journey may lead us. When that journey took a terrible turn this past Saturday, we decided to give him every opportunity to live a full and comfortable life. So we sought the expert care at Cornell University to give him the surgery and rehabilitation he needed. He received orthopedic surgery yesterday; it took most of the day, and it was very difficult for us to await the results. The doctors informed us that they were able to reduce his fracture and put in place several pins into his bones and hard cast. Great care was given to make sure he will have as comfortable a recovery as possible. He is continually being monitored for infection, and for now he is doing well, all things considered. Thankfully, because he is still nursing, he has his mother with him to provide comfort.
Posted by Nicole Truman &
February 20 at 7:12pm
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Nicole Truman — 7 years ago
The above picture is of Nimbus before his surgery. They put a catheter in his neck to take blood and give antibiotics.
81 Supporters
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- Nicole Truman6 years ago A big thank you to Rocky Mountain llamas for your generous donation! We are $498 away from our goal of $5000.
- Rocky Mountain Llamas6 years ago Best wishes!
- Anonymous6 years ago
- Mark and Sarah6 years ago
- Nicole Truman6 years ago A big thanks to Grace for our most recent donation! She was unable to use the WildWoodstock music benefit tickets for this weekend, so they are still up for grabs to the next donor of 25$ or more!
- Grace M Papaseraphim6 years ago Best wishes and hugs to Nimbus!
- Donations on site from visitors to the farm6 years ago
- Nicole Truman6 years ago Thanks Rita! I guess I am a mama, a llama mama that is. ;-) I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day as well!!
- Rita Bryand6 years ago he's so adorable. Have a Happy Mother's Day!!
- Patricia L Nichols6 years ago It was a real pleasure meeting Gary this evening and chatting about the llamas after he loaded the barrels. Looking forward to a visit soon, hopefully to see the new cria 😁
- Show 71 more supporters
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