[nfb-talk] Roselle -- a sad day

Tue Jun 28 15:10:43 UTC 2011

So did I.

Gloria Whipple
Corresponding Secretary
Inland Empire chapter
nfb of WA

Cell: 509-475-4993

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David Evans
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 07:36
To: NFB Talk Mailing List; info at michaelhingson.com
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Roselle -- a sad day

Dear Michael,
I cried when I read your message about Roselle.

I feel your pain man,
I am a Southern boy from Alabama.
Down here we feel and understand your loss just the same as when a buddy 
runs his truck into a ditch or when his dog dies.  The pain is the same.  It

is a loss in the family.
I know that I will feel it when my own GD Jack passes on and I still feel it

when I think about my last dog, Spuds, who passed away in 2001.
I very much miss the way she use to snuggle up to me and place her head in 
my lap
If I had a bad day, just stroking her head and back would make me feel 
better.  I know she liked it too as if I stopped, she would turn and slide 
her nose under my hand and lift it up and drop it on her back as if to 
say,"please do it some more, I like it." I have had many dogs over the years

and they all had their personalities.  It was what made them special.
I know that Roselle is in doggy Heaven now and I feel it when they are gone.

I always bury my dogs with their favorite toy so they know I loved them and 
will always remember them anytime,  I see another dog playing.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.  ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "james" <james_hooper at earthlink.net>
To: <info at michaelhingson.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Roselle -- a sad day

> hey mike from a long time friend james h in denver i send my good thoughts

> and wishes i know from seeing you work your dogs how heavy this weighs 
> on you but i also know the peace you feel if she had been suffering. god 
> speed my friend
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael Hingson" <info at michaelhingson.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; <cagdu at nfbcal.org>; "'eBay Class Private List'" 
> <ebay-class at nfbnet.org>; "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 11:52 PM
> Subject: [nfb-talk] 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&qid89090352&sr=1-3
>
>
> for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit:
> http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com
>
>
>
>
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