Beloved Alex
On July 24th 2008 5:20 PM - Alex, a Moluccan Cockatoo, arrived at the rescue. I was shocked to see such a beautiful young bird in this condition. He was grossly under weight. Nothing but bone. It was like holding air. Alex’s head just hung limp. He simply did not have the strength to hold it up. His eyes were closed accept for the occasional slow blink. His legs stuck out behind him, claws clenched tightly, unable to stand and his entire body trembled ever so slightly.
My nurturing instinct demanded that I get nourishment into him immediately. I feared he wouldn’t eat as I rapidly prepared the hand feeding formula. I filled a 35mm syringe and held it to his open mouth while cradling Alex’s emaciated body. He instantly knew what I was doing. He ate. Eagerly he ate. He empted the syringe of it contents. I placed him on a warm thick blanket on the bottom of a cage. Within twenty minutes Alex could lift his head.
I called Kirk and Dee, two of the most amazing people I know. “Kirk I need your help!” I quickly explained that the Moluccan we had just taken in was in critical condition and was going to require around-the-clock care. Without hesitation he said, “We’ll take him.”
When they arrived I handed Alex over to Kirk. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he embraced this sad little pink guy. Kirk has a heart as big as the universe and a love of birds to match. He has advanced Lupus which takes its toll on his body. As Kirk’s physical body grows weaker his compassion, understanding and ability to work with all feathered creatures grows stronger. He’s amazing. Dee, his wife of over 40 years shares his passion and love for these incredible birds and they function perfectly as a team. Kirk promised Alex he would make life better. I wasn’t so optimistic but I believed ‘if’ Alex could last a while longer just maybe we could undo some of the damage man had done.
Kirk called with daily updates. Progress reports! Like a baby Alex was fed and pampered. He was receiving oxygen. He had blood work done that showed nothing significant. But we knew what happened to this beautiful bird.
Alex was only three and a half years old. He’d been purchased from a local store that sold exotic birds at the age of four months. His first owner quickly ran out of time for him and he was again sold. This time his new home was a meth lab and his owners were drug dealers. The two men that bought Alex appeared to be a nice couple that could provide for the bird. The first owner felt he’d made a solid choice. He was totally unaware of just how flawed his decision was.
His cage sat just a few feet from the manufacture of this toxic mix. Alex inhaled the chemicals as his owners cooked drugs. And he breathed their noxious deadly concoction when they smoked. We know this because the person who took Alex from that environment told us. She wasn’t one of ‘them.’ She was someone who knew what was happening to Alex and made it her mission to get him out of there. She had witnessed his slow steady decline.
· Kirk’s Notes:
I’m sure you know what meth fumes will do to birds. Alex was no exception to the rule and was overcome many times during the two years he was at the house. Alex was very lethargic, had lost his muscle mass, and had stopped eating (he wasn’t able to get to food on his own and wasn’t being fed) and was very emaciated. His lungs were only working to 60% of their capacity. He was very dehydrated. He could not keep his eyes open. He made absolutely no sounds. All he could do was lie on his side and wait to die.
I looked at Alex and soothingly talked to him. He opened one eye and looked directly at me. I fell in love immediately. I took him home hoping to save him with lots of love and whatever else he needed to have a good life again. He was too precious to lose.
Together, Kirk and Dee devoted hours to Alex with a day and night routine, feeding him multiple times a day. They kept him clean and warm and most of all they cherished him. In a short time Alex was able to stand. His equilibrium had been seriously affected, so he would perch and hook his beak over the bar of his special cage when he wasn’t being held. At night Alex slept in the bend of a recliner with Kirk sleeping in a recliner next to him. While caring for all of their other birds it seemed to me their world pretty much revolved around Alex. He was the ‘child’ most in need of what they were so happy to give.
Alex had started to play while Kirk held him up to support his weight and make-up for his lack of balance. He started to talk. “I’m Alex,” he would say. He chirped with delight when Kirk and Dee talked to him. Alex was loved and he loved back. We believed it was just going to get better and better as this was beyond anything we had expected.
September 2nd 2008 9:45am – Alex had a seizure. It lasted less only seconds but to his devoted ‘parents’ it felt much longer. I told Kirk and Dee not to panic. Just wait. See if it happens again. See if there’s a pattern. Perhaps this was just a one time thing. After all Alex had come so far. He’s put on significant weight and had strength in his limbs now. Maybe it would never happen again.
September 4th 2008 8:36am – Alex had another seizure. This time it was worse. I reminded Kirk that the damage that was done to Alex was going to have long term effects. No amount of love and care could change the past.
Kirk kept a log tracking each seizure. We talked at length about what could be done. ‘If’ anything could be done. There would be good days. Alex would play and cuddle and once in a while act down-right feisty. On those days we would chuckle at our insecurities. After all Alex had come such a long way how could we loose him now?!
· Kirk’s Notes:
Alex has put on a lot of weight. He started out at 324mg and now September 7th he is at 632mg. His muscle mass has increased dramatically. He has learned to use the perches that I built him and the water dispenser. He still can’t stand alone but does hang onto the cage and hooks his bill to the cage and sleeping a little. He loves to be cuddled by me and all the people that helped feed him and take care of him.
September 16th 2008 1:00PM – Alex had an appointment with Dr. Wright. We were worried. The seizures had continued and other things just didn’t seem right. He was still eating but acted as though he just didn’t feel well. He was also sleeping more. Many nights he slept in Kirks arms in case something were to happen. Alex wasn’t going to go through this alone.
Dr. Wright listened to Alex’s heart. The rhythm was different this time. There was no thumpty-thumpty-thumpty like the last time. He adjusted his stethoscope. He had heard it right- bussh-bussh-bussh. Something was happing to Alex’s heart. Then with a shutter Alex passed his waste. It was all wrong. Not at all like what was normal. Kirk explained that once in a while lately Alex would have a movement such as this. The odor was strong and foul. It reeked of ammonia. Dr. Wright said he suspected that Alex’s liver was failing causing other organs to fail as well. He couldn’t be sure without further testing.
We consented to the testing knowing that without it we could do nothing. With it there was a slim chance that we could do something but at least there may be a chance that we could improve his quality of life. Anesthesia held its own serious risk, Dr. Wright cautioned. We knew there was a strong possibility Alex would not wake-up. He was suffering. We had to at least try. We prayed for an answer to turn Alex’s problems around. I prayed for all of our angels to gather round Alex, to heal him or to guide him.
September 16th 5:15PM – The phone rang. It was Dr. Wright. I held my breath and hoped that against all odds he would have good news. That wasn’t the case. Alex’s liver has massive problems. Too many to over come. Alex had died peacefully unable to overcome the issues that faced him.
· Kirk’s Notes:
The seizures continued to become worse so on September 16th, Jan and I took Alex Dr. Wright to see what if anything could be done. He suggested an internal procedure as it was necessary to probe further if there was a chance to save him. I knew the risk. He may not make it out of the anesthesia. Looking for relief for Alex I said to go ahead with the procedure.
Alex didn’t make it. He had no liver left and a bad heart. The drugs he was forced to inhale had destroyed all of his vital organs. I have never loved anything as much as I did Alex. I will never forget him. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body.
I really hope that the bastards that caused Alex’s death, suffer just punishment like Alex had to go through.
No more will Alex know pain. Alex is gone from here. He will never leave our memory. I hurt for Kirk and Dee. They called him their, ‘little pink boy.’ He was their son. Pray for them to heal.
Fly free Alex. Be with our other birds. Carry our love to Azul, Arula, Reggan, Chancy, Little Peanut, Baby Banjo, Sparky and the others. We will see you again, I promise. In time we will join your flock. Stop in to pay us a visit. Bring to Kirk and Dee what they need to fill the void your change has left them. This life as you knew it ended so differently than it began. You are so totally loved Alex. Bless you for gifting our world.
Winged Blessings,
Non-Profit Charitable Avian Sanctuary