A Beautiful Eagle Named Freedom and Her Owner

[Warph]

A really touching story.  If you don't end with a tear in your eye, I don't know you.



Not many people get a picture of this proud bird snuggled up next to them!  This is a beautiful story about an Eagle and her owner.

Freedom and Jeff:>http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/freedom.asp

Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer.  She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings.  Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery,it was broken in 4 places.  She's my baby.


When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken.  She was emaciated and covered in lice.  We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet's office.  From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes.  We also had to tube feed her for weeks.


This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand.  It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week.  You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and  rehab, and it looked like death was winning.  She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon.  I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear.  I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle.  She was ready to live.  I was in tears by then.  That was a very good and glorious day.


We knew Freedom could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her.  I got her used to the glove,and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington.  We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV.  Miracle Pets even did a show about us.
 

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus
everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo.  Lost the hair - the whole bit.  I missed a lot of work.  When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks.  Freedom would
also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer.  This happened time and time again.


Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup.  I was told that if the cancer was not
all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant.  Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results.  I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.


So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold.  I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill.  I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew.  She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long.  That was a magic moment.  We have been soul mates ever since she came in.  This is a very special bird.


On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on
them.  I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her.  His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body.  I have so many stories like that.. I never forget the honor I have of being so close
to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.


Hope you enjoyed this!  

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ...Isaiah 40:31

Cancer is a strange cell.  You can go along for years in remission and then one day it pops its head up again. If you ever have it you will never be free of it.  Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.

A Small Request:
93% won't forward, but I'm Sure You Will.  A small request..... Just three lines.

Dear God,
I pray that You will guide someone to find a cure for cancer in 2012 .
In Jesus Name, Amen

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.  Even if it's only to one more person.

In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it.

Jeff's book at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=%22An+Eagle+Named+Freedom%22

http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Gallery.aspx?galleryname=Freedom and Jeff&galleryid=1280

[Judy Harder]

what a beautiful story, Warph

The last part of it rings true............2002 not only did I lose a child, 2 special friends, a daughter-in-law and my border collie who was my special buddy, in September I found a sore in my mouth that would not heal. I needed new dentures and felt the sore was due to the roughness of my teeth.

In December, I felt I had enough saved to go see a dentist with the idea I was having dentures made. The appointment was kept and after looking in my mouth he said he wanted a specialist to see in my mouth and sent me to Bartlesville to a different dentist who sent me next door to an ENT for a biopsy and a diagnosis with a cancer that started me on a long road of cancer therapy.
Christmas day I was waiting to hear what the biopsy showed and after New Year an appointment was made with the cancer center at KU-Med to talk and plan on treatment.

March 17 I started my first round of radiation and chemo.........which lasted till the first of May. This was daily xrays for 6 weeks altho it did extend to another week, due to a break down in the lab and then my body got dehydrated and depleted with the chemo treatments and spend a couple of days in the hospital. The final 2 weeks of radiation I was taking twice a day xrays and since I had to do all of this, I spent the whole time in Kansas City at Hope Lodge Cancer  Center.........free lodging and someone there made sure I got to the hospital each time I needed to go.

In August I had surgery to remove 27 lymph glands and to complete the cancer removal of lesion.........and YIPEE they were NOT any more cancer.

Thank God, it took me almost a whole year to gain my strength back, and it hasn't come back but I have learned to live with the difference.

What I am trying to say. I hate cancer...........and the first year or more I spent it waiting for the other shoe to drop.........after all we get the cancer gene in our body's and altho w may whip this cancer.....no guarantees.......but I hated that and finally have accepted that the possiblity is there, but will not let it stop me.
I still fight the after effects of chemo. but am doing fine now.

I stay aware of the time of year and once a year or so, My doctor will plan a ctscan and blood work and if anything pops up, I know God will see that I do what is necessary to do whatever..........but today, I am alive and plan on doing all I can to keep it that way.
Thanks again for a beautiful story.