Tilly was found as a very young kitten on the side of the road.  He had a terrible eye infection and was very thin.  We took him to the vet and nursed him back to health.  He was happy and healthy until about 6 six months of age.  He lost weight very quickly and stopped eating and drinking.  The first vet thought he had parasite even though his fecal screen was negative.  My gut instinct told me tilly had FIP.  I took Tilly to another day who identified a blockage in his abdomen.  My heart sank when the vet informed me that Tilly's blockage was a thickening of white tissue he had never seen before.  I had been reading case studies of FIP and saw this finding published in veterinary journals.  He removed as much tissue as possible and a specimen to Michigan State for testing.  I took Tilly home and recovered well from surgery.  He began eating and drinking and playing.  12 months after his surgery, Tilly woke up and had severe neurological impairment and passed away five hours later.  Tilly was so precious and he came to me at a rough time in my life.  My best Gremlin of 15 years had be euthanized due to mega colon.  I didn't think I would ever be able to bond with another pet and Tilly taught me that love can help heal a broken heart.  Thank you for the research efforts to end FIP.