Wilson was born on a chilly afternoon on our back porch in Chicago. He was born inside a small cardboard box where his mommy was doing the best to keep him warm. I moved him indoors almost immediately. I loved him from then on.He had to fight for his life several times and overcame any obstacle. When it was time to go to the vet for the first time he tested positive for FIV. It was devastating to hear that, but at the same time I understood a little about it.I volunteered at the animal shelter and they had a room full of FIV+ cats. For almost 3 years he lived symptom free. Occasionally he got anemic or got some minor infections, but he usually recovered pretty fast. When he turned four in September 2009, it was a landmark for him. In a way it marked the beginning of the end, without me knowing it. This year he started to lose weight and that offset everything else. He kept getting blood work done every month, to make sure that if anything was wrong we would catch it in time. Sure enough in June, the results came back devastating. He was now suffering from kidney failure. From that day on, he only got sicker and sicker. He dropped down to 4lbs 14 oz, almost half his body weight. He was admitted to the hospital to help him fight off a bacterial infection he was now suffering from. Unfortunately he never got better. On July 19,2010 during a short visit to see him at the animal hospital, he suffered a seizure. It was really scary for me even though the vets had warned me that it was only a matter of time before the toxins that had built up in his body would cause him to do that. During that who;e day he continued to seizure so the difficult decision was made to end his suffering. A few hours later he was let go of all the pain he had endured. He is now in a better place. RIP my little boy. You brought me so much happiness over the years I knew you. I will never regret giving you a chance at life. May you find peace wherever you are. I will miss you greatly but will keep our memories embedded in my heart.