
08/21/2025
Bucky Richardson Moore
3/28/2015 - 8/18/2025
We welcomed Bucky to our family in June 2015 at 9 weeks old just 10 months after starting my plastic surgery practice in Houston. It was a trial run at parenting for us and definitely the “warm up” that I needed. Derek was doing research at MD Anderson and was the primary caretaker for Bucky. Watching Derek care for our crazy little Bucky with such love and patience let me know 100% that I had married the right man to father my future children. The bond they built was so powerful. Fast forward, Derek left us a few years later to finish his general surgery training in Massachusetts and then to Pittsburgh for his cardiothoracic fellowship. During those 5 years, Bucky was my everything - truly my best friend. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a home body that loves working out and watching movies. Let’s just say Bucky and I took a lot of walks and cuddled on the couch through plenty of movies. In 2020 during COVID we were blessed with our son Daizen. Bucky loved him from the moment we brought his home. He fell right into the big brother role. For the last 5 years Bucky and Daizen were inseparable. Bucky was so patient with Daizen and was always protecting him. When Daizen developed a fear of the dark and “monsters”, of course big brother Bucky started sleeping with Daizen, which was the comfort that Daizen needed. As always Bucky to the rescue! In 2022 Derek took a job in his home town of Abilene, TX and over time became very lonely. At this point we were almost 7 years long distance. Bucky stepped up to the plate yet again and moved to Abilene to comfort his Dad, and Bucky was exactly what Derek needed. Bucky fell right in to sync with traveling back and forth from Houston to Abilene for his scheduled oncology visits. After a year of sharing Bucky, Daizen and I made the move from Houston to Abilene on 8/6/25. Our whole family was finally back together under one roof. Less than two weeks later on 8/18/25, Bucky started showing signs of distress. We rushed him to the vet where he was diagnosed with an active bleed from a splenic tumor and went to emergent surgery. (continued in comments)