Cocoa Chenell - Our beloved sweet beauty went down on 1/14, we are not sure if it was the dreadful meningeal worm or a back issue (possible pinched nerve). She was treated for the worm which is a 5 day protocol and she survived that. A lady name Cameo Clark (Midtown Reiki & Sound Healing) shared our Artpaca Festival post and we started chatting online which turned into chatting on the phone and Cocoa came up in our conversations and she offered to come perform her Reiki & sound magic on her, she has since came out several times and will continue to come. She fell in love with Cocoa and said she is now vested in her healing, if you ever meet sweet & gentle Cocoa you would fall in love with her too. I then contacted my friend Crystal Djordjevich (Georgia-vich Farm & Rescue) to see if she knew of a vet that did mobile x-rays and she told me to try Allatoona Equine and ask for Dr. Rae, She also gave me Tracy Munroe’s (Wit’s End Llama Consortium) name & number to get some advice from her since she has been in the camelid industry going on 30 years. To my delight the vet Crystal referred me to could do the x-rays, Dr Rae an equine vet (Allatoona Equine) came out with a mobile x-ray machine and took pictures of her spine , I then sent them to Melinda Wilson our Alpaca vet (Good Shepherd veterinary services - Rydal) to read them and great news, she does not have any fractures or breaks. Cocoa then started getting lethargic and I had Dr. Rae come back out and administer IV fluids, that did the trick and perked her right up. Last Saturday (1/27) we had Dr Heidi Bockhold (Southeast Animal Chiropractic), come out and she adjusted her, I got her name and number from Tracy Munroe. Her C1-4 and her hind quarter all needed adjustment. Again, she livened up even more. A few of days later (1/30) she was sluggish again, I ordered some IV bags over the weekend but they were not here yet to give it to her, I then searched and found an acupuncture vet, Teresa Wiley (Wiley Equine Chiropractic and Acupuncture), she came out a few days later and worked her acupuncture magic and that also perked her up and she went from hardly drinking overnight (next to nothing) to drinking just about a whole 12 qt bucket overnight! She is continuing to eat, drink and stay cushed. Though she is still not walking we will continue to hoist her up, do PT & massage her with an electric massager. She will need further acupuncture & chiropractic treatment. My friend Stacey Sargent (human nurse, we call her Cory’s mom - Cory our Alpaca) came over to administer the IV fluids since I did not feel comfortable to administer it myself. My BFF Tracy Penninger (First Choice Funding) is my proofreader & tweaker and always there for me emotionally and with sage advice. A shoutout to Kimberly Parker-Royer (Atlanta Center for Animal Osteopathy Inc) for always being willing to help with advice.

Cocoa is not giving up and neither am I, I am doing everything in my power to get her mobile again with the guidance of my mentor Melissa Hall (Mystic Mountain Alpacas) my go to person and my new found camelid friend Tracy Munroe as well as all those mentioned above that are helping with this journey. It takes a village and by the grace of God I have acquired a wonderful village.

The bills are mounting and as hard as it is we are humbly asking for your help. Any amount you can give is greatly and heartfully appreciated, sharing our fundraiser is also gratefully appreciated

💵 Your donation is tax deductible

Updates:

On 2/4 Cocoa had another acupuncture session. She made great progress with this being her 2nd session. Her right foot went from showing no life and folding under when standing up (with hoisted assistance) to moving when the current was administered and her foot stayed upright!!

2/7 - 3rd acupuncture session making progress, baby steps but we will gladly take them. She continues to keep her right foot upright, yay! She also tried to walk, mind you while she was hoisted up but still an improvment!
The sessions always make her hungry.

2/9 - Stacey came tonight to administer IV fluids & banamine. Stacey brought her friend Kim & her daughter Addie whom assisted in hoisting Cocoa up, gave her carrots and lots of love! Cocoa did great tonight, while hoisted she kept trying to walk!! She will not get her next acupuncture again until next Wednesday.

2/10 - Cocoa was hoisted up and she tried to walk several times! She drank most all her 12 qt bucket overnight and ate most all of her grain! Baby steps but we will gladly take them. ❤️❤️

2/11 - Cocoa did good again on the 11th & tried to walk several times while hoisted, drank most all of her water overnight & ate all her food.

2/12 - Stacy came over, we hoisted her massage& PT her legs and she was administered a steriod. Started keeping her hoisted for an hour at a time instead of 30 mins. as of the 11th. As usual she eats & drinks directly afterwards which is a good sign.

2/13 - My friend Stormie Houge came over and we hoisted Cocoa up, did PT & massaged her legs, we kept her up for an hour and as soon as we put her down, she started eating and drinking.

2/14 - Dr. Teresa Wiley came over and performed acupuncture on Cocoa. She responded OK and showed a good sign, a little blood came out of her right rear foot (where the needle was) when the needle was taken out, Dr. Teresa that is a good sign. She said think of it as when you have a bruise underneath your fingernail and it starts throbbing because of the pressure then when it finally burst, it is relieved of the pressure, it's the same premise.

2/15 - Cocoa did not drink as much as she has been overnight, she seemed not as perky, a little weak so I felt like she needed fluids and I administered it myself, mind you I was nervous (I do not like needles and this is a whole new ballgame) and praying for strength, Philippines 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ, or strengthens me”, she is my baby and I felt like she needed it then and did not want it to be hours later so I did what I had to do for her. Stormie Hogue came by at 6:15 pm and helped me hoist Cocoa up. Did PT on her legs and massaged her legs and neck off and one within the hour she was hoisted up, gave her a steriod shot & B12. She did the usual, ate & drink a lot. She will not get acupuncture with Dr. Teresa until next Wednesday and she will also be getting chiropractic work done on Wednesday as well with Dr. Heidi.

2/16 - Cocoa drank & ate good last night, she seemed slightly down but Cameo the Reiki wonder came over and we hoisted Cocoa up and Cameo did aromatic sage, some bowl sound, and hand massaging. It was so sweet to see Cocoa kiss her, we believe she did that because she genuinely liked the neck massage. Then tonight hubby & I hoisted her up and she got PT, massaged and she got her second round of B12 & electrolytes and one round of a steroid shot.
She did the usual, eats & drinks a lot after each time she is let down from being hoisted up.
It takes a village and I am blessed with a wondeful village❤️❤️

2/21 it is with a devasted and extremly heavy heart that I have to share the news that Cocoa went peacefully at approximately 12:57 pm with the help of the wonderful and compassionate Dr. Teresa Wiley. Sorry I have not updated everyone since the 16th, it had been quite a roller coaster ride, she fought hard and just when we would think it was going to be her time she would give us a glimmer of hope and let us know it was not her time yet. She was so deeply loved. Cameo and Stormie came over on the 18th when I thought it was her time and we held her, prayed for her and gave her plenty of love and attention. Then Stacey and her hubby Santini came over a few hours later and helped hoist her along with Cameo and gave her love. I emailed a homeopathic vet Dr. David Chapman in the British Columbia and he gave me a homeopathic remedy for a stroke (I thought she might have had one), Stormie & I drove to Sprouts to pick up the items while Cameo stayed with Cocoa, we got back and administered the remedy and she responded great, it was like she was revived, we hoisted her up and she did great! She started moving her back legs, trying to walk, it was a beautiful and wonderful sight to see! Unfortunately, it was short lived, the next day she started to weaken. I called Dr. Chapman and told him the whole story of how the events took place with Cocoa and how she got up walked to the other end of the paddock (with a slight drag off & on in her left rear foot) after going down and then came back by the barn then went down and did not get up, we then carried her into the barn, we hoisted her up and when we let her down she walked a short distance to the girls stall then went down again, she then did not walk again. Upon hearing all that he said she did not have a stroke then because if she did she would not have been able to get up and walk again until she was treated, the treatment protocol for the stroke did not hurt her, it did help fire up the nerves sorta speak, he then thought tick paralysis and he emailed me the remedy for that. Cameo pick up two out of the three items need but the one vital item could not be found anywhere near me nor Cameo. I found it on Amazon, it did not show an option for next day so I click the button for them to call me and once they called I asked the guy I there was any way I could get it next day and he said yes and I would get it at 6am the next day on the 21st, I get an email and much to my dismay it says which it will be delivered on the 22nd (a whole another long story of what went down after that). Unfortunately, Cocoa was tired of fighting, she would not hold her head up and stopped drinking and would nibble on some hay here and there (I went out to the barn at midnight for a couple of hours and again from 4am-6am observing her and loving on her). I gave her 2 bags of IV fluids and still no change in her weakness and I then knew it was her time to go. I did not leave her side and I held her in my arms while she slipped off to eternal sleep. As heartbreaking as that is, I feel no person nor animal should die alone.

I want to thank everyone for all the love, prayers and generous donations that poured in. I also want to thank my family, my friends old and new found, and the Doctors that helped not only her but me too. The outpouring truly touched my heart and soul and made the journey a little easier.

I have not had the fortitude to add up all the receipts yet but when I do I will change the amount needed and if I cannot change it I will post it here. I do know without totally everything up that we are still in much need of donations for the medical bills and supplies. Thank you all again❤️💔❤️

The receipts totaled $2,027.96 therefore we are shy $957.96. I have updated the total requested for donations. Thank you again to all that followed, prayed and donated to Cocoa's journey.

As of 10/29/25 we are $772.96 shy of the total. Thank you again to all that followed, prayed and donated to Cocoa's journey.

Cocoa Chenell

By Silverlinings Animal Rescue Inc

Cocoa Chenell

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