Everybody knows that even the saddest of tales can have their happy endings. With a glimmer of hope, happiness can emerge from the most unexpected places and turn a teary face into a smiling one.

Something tells me that the story you’re about to read might take you from tears to smiles in a matter of minutes. So, arm yourself with some tissues, and let’s jump right into it!

Recently, a terrible misfortune struck a wonderful fostering household in Portland, Oregon. Jessica Thompson, a lovely foster momma and a skilled veterinarian, was faced with several cases of one of the deadliest feline viruses to exist.

Let’s see how she handled everything.

Nutmeg The Fearless

The virus in question is known as feline parvovirus. It causes a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease called feline panleukopenia, often referred to as feline distemper.

This fatal virus mostly affects kittens, and it targets and kills cells that are rapidly growing and dividing, especially those in the bone marrow, intestines, and lymphoid tissues.

One of Jessica’s first cases was a litter of four kittens – Acorn, Maple, Raven, and Nutmeg. 

Their mom Autumn struggled for a while with a calicivirus infection, but unfortunately passed away, leaving behind her babies who were also in a very bad condition. 

Jessica tested them for panleukopenia, but the test showed they were negative. 

However, a couple of days later Jessica noticed a serious decline and weight loss in all four kittens. 

This time Acorn tested positive for parvovirus and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Unfortunately, all of this was too much for him to bear, so he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, leaving a hole in his foster momma’s heart. 

The other three kittens survived the night, but two of them, Maple and Raven, sadly passed away the following day.

On her Instagram page, Jessica shared that there were numerous record cases of feline panleukopenia that year in Portland, Oregon. She said: 

“Oregon Humane Society and many other rescues all over Oregon keep having panleukopenia cases. It’s terrible this year. It’s in the strays and unfortunately, I brought it into my home again when I was trying to help, luckily it’s much more contained.”

Despite the bad odds, little Nutmeg proved to be quite the fighter. 

She was isolated for days from the rest of the kitties in the house, getting better and better as the days went by until she was completely cured and safe to hang out with others. 

Just look at her, happily dancing to Taylor Swift. We love her spirit!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jessica Thompson (@theswiftiekittens)

Brando The Brave

Brando is another kitten who was dealt a bad hand and got infected by panleukopenia. He lost his brother to this awful disease but proved to be a resilient fighter – just like his friend Nutmeg!

Jessica shared Brando’s story with her Instagram followers, saying that he was staying at the ER. Although his life was in danger, they tried their best to remain hopeful and optimistic. 

Thanks to her supporters, Jessica managed to fundraise enough money to cover his stay at the ER. Luckily, Brando got exceptionally better in a couple of days and was soon ready to go home. 

Jessica shared on her Instagram:

“Brando update! He’s getting discharged from the ER tomorrow! He’s eating on his own, poop is firming up and his white blood cell count is higher.”

Purr Fighters Against All Odds

Both Nutmeg and Brando faced an uphill battle that most certainly made them stronger. With their buddy Toast (another survivor worth mentioning) by their side, they successfully defeated Panleukopenia and went on to live their best feline lives.

They’ve spent the holidays in cheerful spirits and great health, enjoying all the wonderful decorations and Christmas lights. How ameowzing is that?

And as a cherry on top, these two adorable fluffs both managed to find their forever homes! Evelyn, another great foster mom, shared on her Instagram account: 

“Nutmeg and Brando are both getting adopted by families well known to @theswiftiekittens (one a repeat adopter) and will be pampered and cherished and will continue having the best vet ever!”

Brando was adopted by a lovely married couple. They’ve changed his name to Koda and offered him a home full of love and endless snuggles. Here’s how he looks today:

Nutmeg was adopted a couple of days after her brother by a lovely cat lady who changed her name to Myra and happily welcomed her into her already feline-friendly home. Here’s a photo of Myra and her mom: 

There’s one valuable lesson we can all learn from Nutmeg and Brando (now Myra and Koda) and that’s to never lose hope because it is the most powerful force in the Universe. It has the ability to weave a happy ending even in the saddest tragedies.