Help Polio Survivor's companion bird get vet care.

(Caption: The airborne parrot in this photo -- "Ramsey Lewis," in healthier times -- is the focus of this fundraising campaign.)

Hello loving, philanthropy friends! 

My little bird, who is the sunshine in my day, every day, really needs medical care that I don't have the resources to pay for. This situation is acute - an emergency.

 My background: I  am a Polio survivor. (And in all I've been through, and overcome, this bird helps me keep a positive perspective.)

(Caption: Snapshots of various milestones in my life - clockwise - including my first braces after Polio, my first crutches, a higher education achievement and -- me, today -- home bound and dependent upon a motorized wheelchair, once again.) 

Since I was a child, recovering from Polio - the love of my family,  my love of music, and my pet birds have helped me to want to not just survive, but actually transcend the unseen prison of Polio's aftermath - what feels like: having "a Cadillac brain in a Volkswagen body."

I hope, you never need to know the potential for the loneliness of being home-bound, 24/7 through no fault of your own.  But if you can, take my word for it --  there have been some pretty dark times.

(Caption: This is my curious, Quaker Parrot that's urgently in need of Avian Veterinarian care. His name is, "Ramsey Lewis" -- he is also a lover of Jazz music.)

However, it could have been so much worse for me, were it not for my family, my digitally connected friends, my love of music, and my "little green angels from rom God" (my little parrots).

They have all helped. And it's hard to explain how this one small, parrot continues to help me stay positive when things are tough. But he does. The pure joy he engenders, makes my life worthwhile -- it really does.

Why GoFundMe?

This GoFundMe campaign is based on my hope to (rapidly!) raise funds for the avian veterinary care that my beloved parrot and ESA (Emotional Support Animal) desperately needs at this time. He's having respiratory issues.  A culture, at the very least, needs to be taken in order to ensure the treatment path he is on now is the right one.

When you've got birds, you don't want to mess around with their health -- especially when it comes to respiratory matters.  They're little more than an air sack with feathers!

What makes it really scary is that when birds get sick, their instincts make them hide it.

So, by the time you begin to notice signs of trouble in your avian pet, it can almost be too late to do anything about it. They can be - really - seriously ill by then.

My Quaker Parrot, "Ramsey Lewis" and I have been doing our best to stay on top of this "respiratory thing" causing sneezing, and nasal ("nare") discharge, and intermittent wheezing -- all scary stuff.  

But because I'm home bound, and in a motorized wheelchair, and on a  fixed income, I have a very tight budget.  Unfortunately, I haven't got an emergency fund set aside to cover urgent situations like this.  And my 'budgetary belt' is as tight as it can get.

In recent years,  I've had a Polio health-related relapse - they call the "new" Polio-like condition, "Post Polio Syndrome." 

So, my physical as well as my financial resources are  truly tapped out -- and just at the time when I urgently need them the most.

This condition that's affecting my bird is something I've been trying to correct for a while from home, with his previously, prescribed medications.

Through it all, my bird's been hanging on, with the dwindling supply of  prescribed medicine that I have had to give to him. But sooner or later he could build up an immunity to these medications. It is a common thing to have happen. 

So, I need to get him to the avian veterinarian, (which is costly) now, before that happens. I need to let the avian vet examine my little parrot, do whatever testing is needed, and find the cause -- and treatment for -- my bird's respiratory trouble, before it's too late.

And I've done all I could do from home. 
I know I can't go it alone, anymore.

Can you, please, help me?

Any donated amount would be greatly appreciated. Because every little bit matters.

And we, (my little bird and I) will be forever grateful,  and I will keep your intentions in my prayers.  

Thank you, in advance, for any help you can provide.

(Caption: Little Quaker Parrot, "Ramsey Lewis" gives me a 'hug.')