A woman paid $600 for her exotic bird to get surgery after it fell and broke its leg. While most commenters applauded her, some ridiculed her decision.

• Molly Presnell's 26-year-old sun conure recently fell and injured one of its legs, requiring surgery.
• Presnell, 18, has documented her bird's recovery in a series of viral TikTok videos.

18-year-old Molly Presnell is documenting her exotic bird's recovery on TikTok after it fell and broke its leg, requiring special X-rays, surgery, and eventually a cast.

Presnell told Insider that the surgery cost $600, and she was able to pay for it with the help of viewers who donated to a GoFundMe she created on Tuesday.

While most people called her a loving and responsible pet owner for seeking this care, she's also received "hate" from those who ridiculed her.

Presnell said the injury took place on Saturday night and happened right after she and her mother were petting the bird. Her exotic bird, named Cody, is a 26-year-old sun conure, also known as a sun parakeet. The TikToker told Insider she made a signal to Cody to return to her cage, but "this time when she flew back to her cage, she lost control and ended up flying straight into the floor."

She shared the news in a viral TikTok that's received 3.7 million views.

Presnell wasn't sure what happened. She immediately noticed Cody was sticking her right wing out and "kind of dragging on the floor," she recalled, and one of her legs wasn't moving at all.

In her TikTok, Presnell told viewers she didn't know what to do since she couldn't afford the potential vet bills.

Thanks to the advice she received in the comments, Presnell realized she could take money out on care credit, so she was able to bring Cody to the vet and get her aid. She also started a GoFundMe and has raised over $700 this week to help pay for other medical costs. She said the surgery itself was $600, and additional X-rays and other medical costs made the total reach around $1,050. (Presnell provided Insider with a bill for the surgery but said she discarded the receipt for other expenses.)

Presnell said Cody shattered the bone in the midpoint of one of her legs, which had to be reconstructed by the vet. She has to wear a cast-type bandage and probably won't fully recover for three or four weeks. Cody also has to take the pain medications Gabapentin and Tramadol, Presnell said.

With her injury, Presnell said she has to help Cody drink water and has to keep the bottom of her cage clean at all times. "She's walking in her feces a lot, so I have to clear her at least three times a day," she added.

A few days after the injury, Presnell posted an update video showing her giving medicine to Body, who looked visibly healthier. In the comments section, concerned viewers who had been following Cody's journey were overjoyed that she was making a successful recovery so far.

"I know how scary it can be! I'm so glad you were able to get the surgery," one person wrote. "Conures are such sweet birds."

While a majority of viewers were supportive, some people ridiculed her for shilling so much on medical costs and asking strangers for donations.

"Seeing her hurt was the most devastating thing for me," Presnell wrote in a TikTok, responding to a viewer who mocked how she was crying over Cody. "If you've never had love for a bird like I have you have no place for an opinion on my feelings."

On Thursday, she posted about "reading all the hate comments" and that she's been "letting them get to" her.

Presnell said she's had Cody for ten years, since she was 8. The bird originally belonged to her late uncle Kent, she said, and he was given to her by her aunt. She said Cody has always been a very meaningful presence and pal in her life.

"The fact that Cody was passed on to me meant a lot to me because it could've been passed off to one of his kids," she said about her late uncle. "I always found comfort in cuddling my bird."