WOW is all I can say! This is a little disjointed as I have tried to
put my thoughts on paper. It is blind-copied to those of you who have
in come way contacted me about the accident. After putting in all the
names from donations and items received, as well as the notes, I went
back and double-checked. I was startled to realize that I had
overlooked as many as I had put in. I am really overwhelmed! I honestly
do not have the words to say thank you adequately. But, I do thank you
a million times over!

As I have been writing thank you notes to individuals, it occurred to
me that I wanted to publicly thank each of you who sent your thoughts,
your prayers, your hard-earned dollars, gifts, notes, phone calls and
support. I sincerely hope that I have not overlooked anyone. I have to
admit that it has been difficult for me to grasp all that has happened
in the past few weeks. It is NOT the way I planned to spend the month
of May, but it has meant so much to me. Many of you I have met, but
many of you know me only from the FML. This is the community that is
FaMiLy in the ferret world. There may be disagreements, but in the
end, we are there for each other - as you were for me.

First, please allow me to thank Diane Campbell of Ferret Guardian
Rescue Haven. I just wanted to see if she knew of someone who could
help me with the ferrets, but she left a graduation celebration and
drove to my side. I am so blind without my glasses that I thought she
was a doctor in the room! I promised not to tell all she did for me,
but if she had not been there I would have been so lost. When she first
asked me to pick up a ferret for her shelter 10 years ago, I didn't
know it would lead to this!

Next, thank you to Rebecca Stout (aka Wolfy) and Kat Parsons. They set
up the accident webpage and fund. I remember the night that I watched
someone taking pictures of the car lying on its side. I am still
amazed when I look at the pictures now. I can't believe that I was in
that car. Kat responded to every one of you who sent donations, then
collected the money and sent it to me, as well as copies of your notes.
What an incredible amount of work. And, when she asked if I had a
picture of Gandalf, I didn't know that I had ever taken one. Thank you
to Dianna Desrochers, who had pics of him from the recent FACT Ferret
Frolic.

Many of you don't know Wolfy as the sensitive, caring mother she is.
I know that she was absolutely beside herself throughout this ordeal.
It was worse on her than me. Yet she kept in touch with many people,
updating them on my status and waiting by the phone just to hear I was
okay. Friends like that are priceless.

To Lisa Oestereich, who was able to obtain contact information on those
who helped me, thank you so much. Lisa's encouragement to thank those
who helped me is so appreciated. I know that many times those who serve
are underappreciated and don't get the thanks they deserve. A volunteer
fire dept. survives because of neighbors helping neighbors. For those
of you who wrote thank you notes and sent goodies, thank you so very
much from the bottom of my heart. I spent a couple of days with these
people and can vouch that they are wonderful. The tow truck driver told
me that the fire dept. helped him find all my stuff (hey, I can account
for EVERYTHING except a new lipstick and a flashlight - oh, and a few
loose pennies) in the grass in the dark. Such good people. I heard from
many of you who are EMTs and received confirmation that they rarely are
thanked. So, thank you for thanking them.

To Marilyn Ledoux, who tracked down the address for the Animal Control
officer and publicly thanked the people in the local paper, thank you.
I learned later that there had been ANOTHER rollover since mine and
the man, not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the car and killed.
One man, the first one I remember, called my sister for me. I have not
tracked him down, but he was heading north on I-95 and his name is
Duane Blue. He stayed by me the entire time and even held a ferret
for me! At the hospital a traveling nurse named Bonnie was my comfort.

People have sent gifts, notes and done much in memory of my sweet
Gandalf. I want to share a memory with you. The day of the accident I
got a late start from the hotel. Checkout was 11 and I thought it would
be great to stay another night, but knew I had to get on the road.
Gandalf was out in the room and I was barefoot. Since he came to me,
he had a habit of taking my toes (one at a time) between his paws and
grooming them. It tickled and I tolerated it as long as I could, but
had taken to wearing socks when in the room. That morning I was
barefoot and, yes, Gandy found my toes and groomed them. We kissed and
loved and had a wonderful morning. That will be the memory I keep of
my beautiful boy.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be to read the notes
that came with your generous donations. I am touched and blessed by
each of them. I know that money is tight for most of you, yet you
opened up your hearts and purses to a stranger. You shared tax refunds
and incentive checks with me, when I know that they could have well
been spent in other places. Your generous donations paid for the
ferrets' vet care, replaced my glasses and even made it possible for
me to obtain another vehicle with little out-of-pocket expense.

I heard from people with whom I have disagreed in the past and it was
easier for us to just stop talking. I am glad we have had a chance to
mend those fences. I encourage each of us (myself included) to look for
the positive in each relationship. None of us is perfect, but perhaps
we can be a little more forgiving of each other. Thank you for caring
if I lived or died. You will never know how much it means to me. Thank
you!

-- 
Renee Downs
"Eventually we will realize that if we destroy the ecosystem we
destroy ourselves." Jonas Salk
"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets
the credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
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International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org

[Posted in FML 5990]