Dear Friends,
 
First...I was overwhelmed by the loving e-mails and cards I received when
I lost White Russian.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I have
answered some, but not all...but will definitely send a personal reply
to each and every person soon.  I kind of fell apart a week or so after
posting about Russian and just couldn't read and reply to all of them
before now.  So many people wrote to say how Russian's ADV site impacted
on them and how important they feel it is in getting the word out on
Aleutian disease.  They all thanked me for helping to make their ferrets
safer.
 
Now...what many of you may not know is that White Russian's ADV web site
is completely the work of Kat Parsons.  Kat has spent hundreds (if not
thousands) of hours on that site.  Everything has to be "perfect" in her
eyes or she does it over and over again.  Yes, I give her some ideas, but
the majority of the ideas and ALL the work is Kat's.  Kat has also put
numerous afghans up for raffle to benefit ADV research.  All of this...and
she doesn't even have an ADV positive ferret.  I KNOW that she has played
a MAJOR role in educating people about Aleutian disease.  She has done
this because she loves ferrets and because she has a giving heart that
knows no bounds.  Kat even sent me a surprise afghan that had all my ADV
positive ferrets names in the pattern.  I cannot imagine how long it took
her to make it.
 
In short, Kat has helped EVERY ONE OF YOUR ferrets to be healthier.
Each and every one of us owe her so very much.  She has saved probably
thousands of ferrets from getting Aleutian disease.  Many people have
worked for ADV research, and to get the word out about testing, etc., but
Kat has put more actual hours into it than anyone else I know.  Now Kat
needs help to pay for surgeries for her own ferrets...many of which were
rescues that she simply could not turn away.  She donates the materials
for all the afghans and has never charged me for the hours and hours
devoted to Russian's web page.  I have tried to "repay" Kat in little ways
and I intend to help her now...but she needs more than just the help I can
give her.
 
Please, please, please give back to Kat as she has given to each and every
one of you.  If you don't want to enter into a raffle, I will take up a
collection (unless someone who is tax exempt is willing to do so), so that
we can get Kat's babies cared for.  I KNOW it's possible...I've seen the
money raised for people who do rescues.  I know of one rescue that
received over $4,000.00.  Kat doesn't need that much, but she does need
more than she can afford.  (She is far too generous to everyone for her
own good sometimes, but that's Kat.) Many people have asked me what they
can do for ADV research or just to help the cause.  This is a perfect way.
Give something to the person who is responsible for the web site that
educated and informed about Aleutian disease.
 
I know White Russian would ask, too, if he were still here.  Please?
 
Judy
Please give to Aleutian Disease research - the ferret you save may be your
own.  http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom/
[Posted in FML issue 3841]