When Amanda, a 4th-year vet student, adopted Portia, the two instantly bonded. Portia is happily taking walks, finding mud puddles (which results in bath time), and curling up with Amanda in her new forever home.
What makes Portia a hero?
Portia is from a colony that is helping with Alport’s Syndrome research.
Alport syndrome is a rare kidney disease that is genetically passed down in families from parents to children, though sometimes it can occur spontaneously.
The disease causes kidneys to decline in function over time and frequently results in hearing loss and/or vision abnormalities. It’s estimated to affect 1 in every 5,000-10,000 people, which means that approximately 30,000-60,000 people in the United States are living with Alport syndrome. Research suggests that when genetic testing is done, this number may be far higher.
