[Ct-nfb] Fwd: [Ebay-class] Roselle -- a sad day
Blindhands at aol.com
Blindhands at aol.com
Tue Jun 28 19:17:47 UTC 2011
Joyce Kane
_www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
Blindhands at AOL.com
____________________________________
From: info at michaelhingson.com
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org, cagdu at nfbcal.org, ebay-class at nfbnet.org,
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent: 6/28/2011 12:55:46 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: [Ebay-class] Roselle -- a sad day
GOODBYE TO A HERO
It is strange for me to be writing this article while I have feelings of
both sadness and joy in my heart. Nevertheless, it is something which must
be done.
I have the solemn obligation to inform you that my hero guide dog,
Roselle,
who was with me in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, passed
away
last evening, Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 8:52 PM. I am sad, of course,
because I will miss Roselle so very much, more than any of my other guide
dogs. I write with joy because Roselle is in a better place, no longer
feeling pain, while I get to have so many fond memories of her.
Roselle was born on March 12, 1998 at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San
Rafael, California. I heard right from the start that she was quite a
mischievous little puppy. She went to Santa Barbara, California to be
raised by several puppy raising families. Kay and Ted Stern had the joy
and
pleasure of spending the longest amount of raiser time with her. Kay and
Ted introduced her to airplane flying, New York, snow, and even the
theater.
I must say that I think the culture did rub off on her.
After her time with puppy raisers she went back to Guide Dogs for the Blind
for training. I think I first met her on November 22, 1999. It was
obvious
from the very beginning that we were a perfect match. Roselle was my fifth
guide dog. I could tell that she would be an excellent guide from our very
first walk together. What took me a few days to discover was that Roselle
was also quite a character; I constantly referred to her as a pixie.
Almost
from the first night we spent together I found that Roselle was great at
stealing socks. She didn't chew them up; she just carried them around and
then hid them somewhere only to bring them out later just to taunt me. She
was always willing to give them up undamaged and ready-to-wear although a
little bit damp. Her tail wagged through the whole experience. In fact,
her tail hardly stop wagging during the almost 12 years I knew her. During
my first week with Roselle I also discovered that she was a loud snorer.
The Stearns told me later that she could snore with the best of them.
We came home to New Jersey on December 2, 1999. Later that evening she met
my retired guide, Linnie. Linnie and Roselle seemed a bit uncomfortable
with each other that night and into the middle of the next day. I decided
that this awkwardness had gone on long enough and brought out a rope tug
bone. I made each of them take an end and I grabbed the middle of the
rope.
They started off by teaming up and tugging against me. After about 20
seconds of this with mouths inching up toward my fingers from both sides I
release the bone and let them go at it alone. From that moment on they
were
inseparable until Linnie died on July 4, 2002.
On September 11, 2001 Roselle and I were in our office on the 78th floor
of
Tower One of the World Trade Center when the tower was struck by American
Airlines flight 11 which had been hijacked and was being controlled by
terrorists. Our escape from that tower as well as the collapse of Tower
Two
is well known and, in fact, is the subject of Thunder Dog, a book written
by
me and Susy Flory, which will be in bookstores soon as well as be available
on my website. All I want to say here is that Roselle did an incredible
job. She remained poised and calm through the entire day. She gave kisses
and love wherever she could and she worked when she needed to do so. I
would not be alive today if it weren't for Roselle. I cannot say enough
about the incredible job she did. What Roselle did on 9/11 is a testimony
not only to the Stern's and the others who raised her, but also to her
trainer, Todd Jurek, the entire GDB training staff, and all the people who
make up the wonderful organization of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Most of
all, what Roselle did that day and in fact every day she and I were
together
is nothing less than the strongest possible evidence I can provide of the
value of teamwork and trust.
After 9/11, in fact in mid-January 2002, after Roselle and I had spent
countless hours speaking to the media, and at several events including
GDB's
Holiday Luncheon, and even riding on a float in the Rose Parade on New
Year's Day, Roselle and I were offered a position at Guide Dogs for the
Blind to serve as the National Public Affairs Director for the
organization.
Over the next 6 1/2 years Roselle and I traveled hundreds of thousands of
miles throughout the United States and the rest of the world speaking about
trust and teamwork, guide dogs, and blindness in general in order to help
people understand that the real handicap of blindness is not a lack of
eyesight but a lack of proper education about blindness. Roselle took
every
trip with poise and confidence whether it was to Kansas or Korea. She was
an incredible traveler and once even traveled from San Francisco to New
Zealand, a 23.5 hour trip, without needing to go to the bathroom once. I
did not fare so well.
In 2004, Roselle was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopenia, a
condition which caused her body to attack her blood platelets. Through
medications we were able to control the disease and Roselle was able to
continue guiding. As usual, she worked like a trooper and never once
exhibited pain nor discomfort.
When Linnie died in 2002 Roselle lost her major tug companion. For the
next
four years I mainly had to take up the slack as it were. We did care for
some foster dogs from GDB, and in 2003 we adopted Panama, a 12 1/2-year-old
career change dog from Guide Dogs. Panama wasn't a great tugging partner
because she didn't have the strength to keep up with Roselle. In 2006,
however, when Panama died at the age of 15 we decided to become a breeder
keeper for GDB. Fantasia came to live with us. She was just two years old
and was quite able to give as well as she got from Roselle. Again,
Roselle
found an inseparable friend and made the most of it. She still swiped the
occasional pair of socks, but Fantasia was her main interest. Roselle
taught Fantasia how to bark every time the doorbell rang and how to beg for
treats, although I must admit treat begging came natural to both dogs
especially when 8:00 PM rolled around.
In February 2007 during a normal checkup we learned that some of Roselle's
kidney values were changing for the worse. It was decided that the
medication regimen on which Roselle had been placed as well as the stress
of
guiding were the causes for her kidney value changes. Roselle retired from
guide work in March of 2007. It was a sad day for all of us, but Roselle
took it in stride and soon made it very clear that retirement suited her
well. After retirement Roselle loved to take walks most of the time, she
loved her meals, her treats, playing Battle of the Bone with Fantasia and
later with my current guide dog Africa, and of course barking at the
ringing
of the doorbell. Roselle was the loudest barker of the bunch. I have fond
memories of Roselle, Fantasia, and Africa all tugging on the same rope, all
battling each other across our living room giving no care to whatever was
in
their way.
In 2010, Roselle began exhibiting some chronic back pain. In March of
2010,
while attending and speaking at the annual convention of the American
Animal
Hospital Association Roselle met Doctor Robin Downing, an expert in dog
pain
management. Robin noticed Roselle's pain and while I gave three
consecutive
workshops she spent time with Roselle. I think they got to know each other
pretty well that day because right after the workshops Doctor Downing,
right
there on the floor in the front of the conference room, gave Roselle a back
adjustment which clearly helped Roselle and made her back feel somewhat
better. We immediately upon our return home took Roselle to her vet and
started her on a treatment of acupuncture, some other back adjustments, and
herbs which altogether mostly eliminated her chronic back pain.
Earlier this year we noticed that Roselle was beginning to have a harder
time standing up on her own, although once she was standing she loved to
continue her daily walks. She stopped playing tug bone with Fantasia and
Africa, but she still enjoyed lying in the sun, eating, kissing everybody
in
sight, and barking at the doorbell. Her ability to stand on her own grew
worse throughout the first half of this year.
Last week she began exhibiting some other signs of distress and pain. On
Friday, June 24, 2011 she had to be taken to her vet as she had begun
vomiting blood. It is suspected that somehow she had developed a stomach
ulcer. Also, it was discovered that her red blood cell count had dropped
significantly. Friday evening she was taken to the Pet Emergency and
Specialty Center where she was well known and would receive over night
care.
She had spent many hours with Doctor Harb and the other staff working
through her IMT issues. They had also helped her in January 2009 when she
developed gastric torsion and had to undergo emergency surgery to untwist
her stomach.
Yesterday, Sunday, June 26, we visited her in the evening only to see her
condition continuing to deteriorate. She was in a lot of pain and
discomfort. There was no one cause for her discomfort, but Doctor Bowie of
the PESC felt that some of her immune mediated related conditions had
returned in addition to the possible stomach ulcer. After much
consultation
and discussion we all came to agreement that the best thing we could do to
help Roselle was to assist her in crossing the Rainbow Bridge and go to her
friends Linnie and Panama. At 8:52 last evening she crossed the bridge
and,
I am sure, is now more comfortable and has all the doorbells she wants to
bark at.
How can I possibly say goodbye to a dog who is done all Roselle has done
and
who lived life to the fullest? How can I ever do justice to her life,
work,
and memory? Roselle has been one of the greatest blessings and gifts I
have
ever had the joy to let into my life. God surely broke the mold when she
came into the world. Including Africa I have had seven guide dogs and also
I have had the opportunity to see thousands of them at work. Roselle is
unique without a doubt. She worked through the most trying time in our
nation’s history, and she was right there unflinching for all of it. Her
spirit never diminished and, in fact, grew stronger through the years after
9-11 which helps me be a better person today.
I thank God for the time Karen and I were allowed to have the wonderful
creature which was Roselle with us. She touched everyone whom she met and
I'm sure everyone’s path she crossed is better for knowing her. She kissed
firefighters in the World Trade Center as we descended the stairs. She
gave
unconditional love to so many people wherever she went. She inspired us
all
and will continue to do so.
We are about to form the Roselle's Dream Foundation. This has been in the
works for several months. The purposes of the foundation include educating
people about blindness, and as donations permit we shall assist blind
children and later blind adults in obtaining some of the technologies which
will assist them in learning and working in the world. Shortly the website
www.rosellefoundation.org will be up and running. I hope people will honor
Roselle by making donations in her memory to the Roselle's Dream Foundation
to help us in our work.
Roselle, your memory will always be with us and I know your spirit will
continue to touch us all. I know you're watching and you’re nearby us.
Help us all to be better people and dogs, but most of all be yourself
wherever you are. I hope you're feeling better now. You have set a high
bar of love for all of us. Be at peace and know that we shall try to love
each other as much as you loved each of us on this earth.
The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
“Speaking with Vision”
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
info at michaelhingson.com
To learn more about my upcoming book, speaking topics and speaking
availability please visit www.michaelhingson.com
Thunder Dog is now available for early ordering on Amazon!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Dog-Blind-Triumph-Ground/dp/140020304X/ref=sr_
1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289090352&sr=1-3
for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com
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