DanR
Diamond Level Sponsor
Hope you Guys and Gals enjoy this as I have,
THE EAGLE
This is the kind of story you need when it seems like the world is
spiraling out of control. Not many people get a picture of this proud bird
snuggled up next to them!
Freedom and Jeff
Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer.
She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings.
Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in
4 places. She's my baby.
When Freedom came in, she could not stand and both wings were broken. She
was emaciated and covered in lice..
We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the
vet's office. From then on, I was always around her.
We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up
with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her,
urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with
those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.
This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to
the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't
stand in a week.
You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and
it looked like death
She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on
that Thursday afternoon.. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday,
because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went
anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear.
I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her
own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in
tears by then. That was a very good day. We knew she could never fly, so
the director asked me to glove train her.
I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing
education programs for schools in western Washington.
We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV.
Miracle Pets even did a show about us.
In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had
stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up
doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of
work.
When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for
walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the
cancer. This happened time and time again.
Fast forward to November 2000. The day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my
last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds
of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant.
Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results.
I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.
So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for
a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and
we went out front to the top of the hill.
I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and
wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on
my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her
beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't
know how long.
That was a magic moment.. We have been soul mates ever since we came in.
This is a very special bird.
On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are
out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them
I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His
knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course
through his body. I have so many stories like that.
I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent
spirit as Freedom!! Hope you enjoyed this !
A small request:
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.. Even if it's only to one more
person. just someone who enjoys a GREAT STORY.
Those who would disrespect our flag have never been handed a folded one.
ReplyForward
THE EAGLE
This is the kind of story you need when it seems like the world is
spiraling out of control. Not many people get a picture of this proud bird
snuggled up next to them!
Freedom and Jeff
Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer.
She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings.
Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in
4 places. She's my baby.
When Freedom came in, she could not stand and both wings were broken. She
was emaciated and covered in lice..
We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the
vet's office. From then on, I was always around her.
We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up
with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her,
urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with
those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.
This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to
the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't
stand in a week.
You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and
it looked like death
She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on
that Thursday afternoon.. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday,
because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went
anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear.
I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her
own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in
tears by then. That was a very good day. We knew she could never fly, so
the director asked me to glove train her.
I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing
education programs for schools in western Washington.
We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV.
Miracle Pets even did a show about us.
In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I had
stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up
doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of
work.
When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for
walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the
cancer. This happened time and time again.
Fast forward to November 2000. The day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my
last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds
of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant.
Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results.
I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.
So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for
a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and
we went out front to the top of the hill.
I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and
wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on
my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her
beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't
know how long.
That was a magic moment.. We have been soul mates ever since we came in.
This is a very special bird.
On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are
out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them
I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His
knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course
through his body. I have so many stories like that.
I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent
spirit as Freedom!! Hope you enjoyed this !
A small request:
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.. Even if it's only to one more
person. just someone who enjoys a GREAT STORY.
Those who would disrespect our flag have never been handed a folded one.
ReplyForward
