Hi everyone,
My name is Hershey.  I have ADV, and my picture is on da ADV Tree of
Giving.  Today I gots da following email.  I has to tell you, this made
me so happy.
 
See, I am kinda sick a lot, and I spend a lot of time sleeping.  What I
mostly need is love, and the good soups an stuff my mommy feeds me.  But,
what I WANT is for other ferrets everywhere to be safe from ADV.
 
We gots lots o ferrets at our house, and some of us has ADV, but the rest
don't.  I don't want my buddies to get sick like me, an so I want those
people dat are trying to find cures and vaccines for ADV to have the
resources to do jus that.
 
So, when I saw this message, it made me feel real happy, cause I know dat
there are other hoomans that understand and care.  Please - everyone - do
whatever you can to help stop this terrible disease.  Make sure your kids
get tested, and make sure everyone knows how bad this can be.  If your
kids are healthy, please protect them, so they won't get sick like me.
 
Anyway, this letter made me feel so good dat I wanted to share it.  Here
it is:
 
******************
Dear Hershey,
 
I am a shelter Mom at Ferret Wise and a Mom of many ferrets at my home.  I
can think of no other creature that gives so much unconditional love as
you and the rest of the ferrets on this planet!  I am sending a box along
to help brighten your Holiday and the Holiday of other ferrets at your
home.  But Hershey, the biggest gift I want to send to you-- is a promise
that I will keep helping to raise funds for ADV research.  I will do this
so that someday no ferrets young or old will have to be as sick as you
sometimes feel.  I will also spread as much educational information to
folks, vets and the sheltering community at large-- to help everyone
understand how to deal with this- and how to keep all you ferret kids
healthy.  Please enjoy the token gifts I am sending and may you feel a
little brighter knowing that other folks are thinking of you this day and
every other day.
 
Bless you Hershey for helping to spread the wisdom that ADV can be fought.
 
Alicia another ferret Mom.
[Posted in FML issue 3633]