As Valentine’s Day approaches, we’re reminded that love takes many forms. So if you’re tempted to be bitter, simply look around you — you’ll find you’re surrounded by love. Here’s a story that’s sure to make your heart melt.

When Reddit user Cheeseflash and her boyfriend adopted Chester n├®e Cheeto, they wondered what was up with the orange kitty. It seemed he could lie down in only one position. Also, he wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t play, and he was always sick. From the first day, Chester was in and out of the vet’s office with mysterious ailments.

After four months of inconclusive evaluations (and mounting medical bills), Cheeseflash and her boyfriend switched vets and finally got their answer — albeit a challenging and painful one.

Chester had been hit by a car and suffered from a chronic diaphragmatic hernia. He required expensive and risky surgery to correct the problem and live a full life, so the little family piled into the car and headed to Washington State University to see what its veterinary school could do for the kitty.

The surgery was successful, but little Chester experienced complications afterward and came within inches of death. Cheeseflash and her boyfriend never left Chester’s side, camping out in their car to be near the feline as he recuperated. The vets at WSU fell in love with Chester and even made him a little sleeping mask to help him rest. According to the vet, Chester had been living on the streets with his injury for nearly seven months.

Because of the complications following surgery, Chester needed two toes amputated. Cheeseflash and her boyfriend couldn’t afford the surgery, so they crowdfunded the money they needed.

After a grueling year fraught with worry and expensive surgeries, the orange cat is now happy and healthy. Cheeseflash posted photos of his ordeal to celebrate his triumph.

Photos via Reddit