This baby was born seemingly perfect. Julie called excited about the birth, and sent pictures every day. About day three something went terribly wrong. The filly was unable to stand. Julie rushed her to UC Davis (in the back seat of the Volvo). It did not look good. While a definitive test would take days, it looked likely that the baby had injested botulism and would need prolonged, very expensive, treatment.
After days Julie made the painful decision to put her to sleep. It would be done the next morning. In the morning the filly was improving, enough that the vets thought she might make it. No one wanted to give up on her.
Julie decided to give her a chance. Baby lived!
This is a very expensive decision. Julie received some help, but not nearly enough. It will take years to pay off the bills. This filly is very lucky, most people would not have gone the many extra steps necessary to save her.