Cyrinaluna
New member
I had to share this story a customer told me. Just a warning, you might be in tears after reading. This is a perfect example of how wonderful birds are. Any animal really.
I work at Petsmart and we've got a GCC right now. Cuddly little boy that has stolen all of our hearts at work. I was over at his cage talking to him, when two women walk up behind me. We get into conversation, and one of them tells me she just got her first bird, a GCC, since her Cockatoo, Malibu, passed away 5 years ago. She started telling me all about Malibu.
She said when she was in her late 20s, she had a stroke. And due to some major complications, she was left in a coma for a few months. She said when she woke up, she was paralyzed on her left side and the doctors told her she would never walk again. When she got home from the hospital she said she was depressed. She wouldn't leave the bed for anything. Her husband would open Malibu's cage when he left for work, but she said she didn't even have the motivation to play with him.
She said after about 6 months of this, Malibu decided that was enough and she needed to get out of bed. She said he flew over to the bed and kept tugging on her covers. He kept going back and forth between the bed and her wheel chair. Eventually she said he flew down the hallway and yelled back "come here!" She said it took her about 20 mins, but she was able to get into her wheel chair and down the hallway. Malibu was was waiting for her on the table. She told me she rolled up to him, and he flew over to his treat jar, got two nuts, flew back to her and cracked them open. She said he told her (and this is where I nearly lost it in the store) "Good mama. I love you."
She told me they did that every day, and everyday she found she was getting a little bit stronger. Although it took a few years, she said she eventually she gained most of her motor control back. Well enough she said she doesn't have to walk with even a cane.
She said she misses him everyday and it was only recently she felt able to get another bird.
We were both tearing up at the end of her story. It's so amazing what animals can do for us. And how they can sense when we need them the most.
I just had to share her and Malibu's story.
I work at Petsmart and we've got a GCC right now. Cuddly little boy that has stolen all of our hearts at work. I was over at his cage talking to him, when two women walk up behind me. We get into conversation, and one of them tells me she just got her first bird, a GCC, since her Cockatoo, Malibu, passed away 5 years ago. She started telling me all about Malibu.
She said when she was in her late 20s, she had a stroke. And due to some major complications, she was left in a coma for a few months. She said when she woke up, she was paralyzed on her left side and the doctors told her she would never walk again. When she got home from the hospital she said she was depressed. She wouldn't leave the bed for anything. Her husband would open Malibu's cage when he left for work, but she said she didn't even have the motivation to play with him.
She said after about 6 months of this, Malibu decided that was enough and she needed to get out of bed. She said he flew over to the bed and kept tugging on her covers. He kept going back and forth between the bed and her wheel chair. Eventually she said he flew down the hallway and yelled back "come here!" She said it took her about 20 mins, but she was able to get into her wheel chair and down the hallway. Malibu was was waiting for her on the table. She told me she rolled up to him, and he flew over to his treat jar, got two nuts, flew back to her and cracked them open. She said he told her (and this is where I nearly lost it in the store) "Good mama. I love you."
She told me they did that every day, and everyday she found she was getting a little bit stronger. Although it took a few years, she said she eventually she gained most of her motor control back. Well enough she said she doesn't have to walk with even a cane.
She said she misses him everyday and it was only recently she felt able to get another bird.
We were both tearing up at the end of her story. It's so amazing what animals can do for us. And how they can sense when we need them the most.
I just had to share her and Malibu's story.