Wednesday morning a tragic accident took place.  The GCFA s shelter
mom, Mary Stilson, was crossing the street to retrieve laundry from the
laundromat when she was struck by a car.  She sustained multiple injuries
including a badly broken femur, badly injured knee on the same leg, a
cracked knee cap on the other leg, and head trauma.  Luckily there was
no concussion from the fall, but she did require stitches to her head.
From one of the witnesses we learned that she flew through the air like
a rag doll.  She is a small woman and obviously no match for a car.  The
car was not going at a high rate of speed, thank God, because the car was
turning left.  Mary was in the crosswalk and was crossing with the green
light.  She was at least 20 feet from the crosswalk when she landed.
 
Norm Stilson, her husband was at the laundromat when the accident took
place.  One of the shelter volunteers ran across the street to inform him
of what had happened.  He was still at her side at the hospital into the
wee hours of the night.  The doctors were still determining the extent
of the injuries on Thursday and she finally went into surgery on Friday
afternoon.  The surgery took nine hours.  The bones were actually crushed
not just broken and they had to piece the broken bones back in place.
Please keep Mary and Norm in your prayers.
 
If anyone lives in the Chicagoland area, please try to find it in your
hearts to volunteer at the shelter at this time of need.  Right now the
special feeding list is about16 ferrets.  If you don t like to scoop
poop, you can help with the feedings.  Even if you can spare just a
couple of hours, any time you can volunteer would be so greatly
appreciated.  The shelter needs your help at this time to keep the
shelter operating.  We are not asking for a long term commitment, just a
little of your time while Mary is in the hospital and of course through
her recovery.
 
For those of you that don t know about Mary and Norm, I will enlighten
you.  Mary and Norm have been the shelter Mom and Dad for a very long
number of years.  They are at the shelter every morning and night.  They
are the kindest and most giving people I have ever known.  Their devotion
is absolute with no compromising the health, happiness, safety and love
of the shelter ferrets.  The shelter ferrets are their lives and I know
Mary is going to be so devastated that she cannot be a part of the
shelter operations for a very long time while her body heals.
 
Norine
[Posted in FML issue 4299]