I am sure a lot of you know this article about Jeff, Freedom and the Sarvey Wildlife Center

What is blog site is about goes much deeper into the Center and the work they do at the center.

This article is posted as taken from the web site of . . . .

Animal Liberation Front.com

http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Saints/Authors/Stories/Freedom-the%20Eagle.htm

Every day at Sarvey Wildlife Center, we witness first hand the incredible battle for life that our animal brothers and sisters go through. This is a story of one Bald Eagle's magnificent spirit and sheer will to live.

It was mid-summer when a call came in reporting a fledgling Bald Eagle had fallen out of a nest on a Seattle golf course. Our very own Crazy Bob went to the rescue and transported her to the Center. She arrived with two broken wings. When asked to take her to the vet, I jump at the chance.

When I load this hurt and terrified baby into the car, she neither whimpers nor fights; she can't even stand. This is not a good sign; she is obviously in very bad shape. As I drive to Sno-Wood Veterinary Hospital, I constantly look back to check on my very special passenger. She stares at me with big beautiful brown eyes, her mouth slightly agape. I drive a little faster this Bald Eagle must live!

She is operated on and has both wings pinned; they are now immobile. Back at Sarvey we lay her in the bottom half of a huge carrier filled with shredded newspaper for support The fight for her life begins.

Twice a day a tube is pushed down her throat so that food and medicine can be pumped into her. A week goes by with no change; she still cannot stand up. At three weeks, there's a slight change, but it's for the worse. I'm getting scared for this young Bald Eagle.

Working at the Center, you begin to recognize a look, a look that indicates death is winning. This bruised and broken Bald Eagle was losing the battle but not her dignity. The struggle for her life was not over.

Every chance I get I talk softly to her, telling her to hold on, to fight, to live. Why I felt such a connection to this particular eagle, I do not know.

Four weeks go by and she is still on her belly. There is nothing so heartbreaking as seeing the life force of this majestic bird slowly slip away.

At five weeks we are approaching the end.

Sarvey Wildlife Center believes in giving every soul that comes in a chance to live; but when it is painfully clear that death is the only way out, the decision is made to let that particular spirit continue on its journey. We were at this juncture; this beautiful baby eagle was given one week to see if she could, or would, stand up. This was a crushing blow. Every day that next week I checked to see if she was up. The answer was always the same... "No."


On the following Thursday I could barely face going to the Center. As I walked in not a word was spoken but everyone wore a huge grin. I raced back to the young Bald Eagle's cage, and there she stood in all her glory!

She was standing! She had won. This girl had cheated death by a mere 24 hours. She was going to make it. She was going to get her second chance.

After another week the pins in her wings were removed. Her right wing was perfect, but her left was not. She couldn't fully extend it. We tried physical therapy and hoped a little time was all she needed, but there was no significant progress. Her wing was too badly damaged. She would never fly, never soar the skies with her people. At least her life was saved, but for what? Was she doomed to live her life in a cage? Not exactly, for this was a special soul.

Bald Eagles normally want nothing to do with humans and will go to great lengths to get away from them. This girl liked people; she wanted to see what you were doing, to follow where you were going, and to see whom you were going with. She was very curious.

About this time our director suggested that I try to glove train her. She had the right temperament; maybe she could do educational programs. Wouldn't that be something? Very few eagles are able or willing to be handled, much less remain calm in front of large crowds. The work began.

I started getting her used to the glove, a little at a time. At first she was thinking, "OK, I'll step on your hand but only with one foot." Then, "OK, I'll use both feet but only for a second." Later, "Yeah you can take me part way out of my cage, then I'll jump right back in." And finally, "OK, I'll let you walk around with me on your arm. Hey, this is fun!"

At this point, every day a volunteer would take this Bald Eagle out for a cruise around the clinic. It was time for her final test jesses, the leather straps that attach to the ankles of birds-of-prey to give control to the handler and to protect the bird from injury or escape. I put the jesses on her a piece of cake. It was as if she were born with them on. This was certainly a very mellow Bald Eagle.

Now it was almost time for her first program, but she needed a name. None that we could come up with seemed right, and then Paula, a volunteer, said, "Hey, what about Freedom?" That was it; that was her spirit and her spirit was why grandfather sent her to us. She was ready.

Freedom is now four years old and one of Sarvey Wildlife Center's premier ambassadors. She clearly enjoys our programs and really knows how to turn on the charm. She is a star. Freedom has been on national television, on the front page of major newspapers, and is known across the country.

She is also one of the great loves of my life. She will touch her beak to the tip of my nose and stare into my eyes. At that moment, our spirits are one.

I am the luckiest person on Earth. Thank you, Freedom.

(editor's note)...Jeff said, "Why I felt such a connection to this particular eagle, I do not know."

Now we all know why:

Freedom is alive because Jeff fought for her life, and there is no doubt that Freedom sensed his love and commitment. Jeff gave Freedom the support she needed to want to live.

When Jeff was later diagnosed with a serious illness requiring chemotherapy, he found himself turning to Freedom for support. Two or three times a week, whenever he felt well enough, he would drive from Bothell to Arlington to walk with Freedom around the grounds. Now it was Freedom's turn to give Jeff a reason to fight for his life.

Only a short time ago Jeff was informed there was no trace of the disease left in his body. He immediately left for the Center.

When he took Freedom out of her flight, she did something she had never done before: She extended her wings and wrapped them around him.

The circle of healing was now complete.

Part Two: Sites and Links to Freedom, Jeff and Sarvey’s Emergency Needs

Eagle Walker is the history personal history of Freedom, whose real name is Hanble Okinyan (Lakota) Dream Flyer and her kindred spirit (I would say soul mate guide) Jeff Guidry, who is the current President of Sarvey Wildlife Care Center

Freedom and Jeff have been together since 1998, when Hanble Okinyan, was rescued, after she fell from her nest and broke her wings. The reality of this history is they saved each other, became a very special journey, and a mission to teach, about the magnificence of the natural world and our impact on a fragile planet. How you enjoy the site and you can learn a little more about these two and the center:  http://eaglewalker1.blogspot.com/

Sarvey Wildlife Center

Home Page is just a start to an amazing world of information, and volunteers needed, photo galleries, and many stories of animals that have come through their doors. You need to take the time, go on a cyber-adventure with Sarvey Wildlife Center, and see all the good they do for Wildlife and what they contribute to our environment. Right now, they have a stronger than normal need for volunteers and donations:  http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Default.aspx

I am enclosing a couple of articles about Sarvey Wildlife Center, to let you learn about some of the problems they have faced and are facing on, and the help they need. Then you can follow the links to read more about the center and the get to know them. The history of Jeff and Hanble Okinyan (Freedom) are wonderful, but right now they are facing some major struggles.

Unneeded Christmas Damage: Major Snow was not the type of Christmas present, they expected; extensive property damage; which came close to taking the lives of all their eagles and hawks. If some one did not have some sense of dread and acted on their intuition, they would have lost all their eagles and hawks. It seemed no matter how hard they worked to prevent their lose; they lost the eagle flight structures and a few others, lost when the roofs caved in from snow. Others received damage due to trees collapsing on structures and their emergency ambulance. You can read the articles and see how much received damage and how much was lost due to heavy wet snow several feet of snow.

        What I can tell you from personal experiences, this type of damage coupled with planned construction can quickly change from $8,000 US into $26,000 US or more. Easily triple the cost now, than what was originally scheduled. What would have been one or two structures now it is two to four buildings? Then the repair to the other buildings damaged, and that is only the beginning. They had plans to build a new eagle flight builds, and use the other for others in need of healing and rehab. Moreover, they had a few more structures that have to be replaced also, which means they recovery cost might lead to four times they had managed to get donated. Building two new eagle flights has increased the cost by double, for materials alone.

They are out several more than two rehab shelters, remember the animals just keep coming and they need help. Nature’s children don’t stop needing help, because it snows, and none of them understand the concept of vacations or holidays, either. What we discovered the days we thought about enjoying a leisure day, those turned into the days we worked the hardest. Moreover, it was also the days; animals got into the most trouble and needed help. Now without the shelters, the center needs to find places for new arrivals, those recovering, or has housed there because of problems that prevent their return to the wild. They need conditions, which are contusive and comfortable for swift recovery.

This means they need to add more emergency housing, recovery cages, and in some cases emergency make-shift-structures, a must until the center is back up to speed, which means double the cages above normal. Because eagles and other small animals are in cages, used for recover, not for housing, and they had plans to add more cages. Right now they are in need of extra and double everything, due to loses. They had plans to build more structures because of increase in wildlife needs and those they use for education purposes, as well. They are doing such a great job, they need to expand, since they are trusted and respected; which adds greater demands for education awareness programs.

In other words, there is no room at the end and emergency measures will be taken, so some of the older guests are moved to make room for those who are in critical conditions. Those they can move will more than likely go home with volunteers. Then only those that can endure the more without trauma, which can do more harm than good, unless they know the volunteers.

December Storm 2008 = http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Content.aspx?id=227

Report from Jeff Guidry
This is just a partial list of what’s happened so far: see pictures in galleries Dec 25 2008 and Dec 26 2008

1. First to fall Kaye's favorite tree, the apple tree out came down with part of it resting on the hospital roof, It's still there.
2. Two evergreens came down on the house, luckily no damage and another next to it hanging on the power lines. These were all due to be trimmed or removed.
3. The tree at the bottom of the driveway fell on the wildlife ambulance (see pictures) plus it was pulling down the other power line.
4. The otter pen has collapsed
5. The waterfowl flight has collapsed
6. Freedoms flight has collapsed
7. Wask'te's flight has collapsed.
8. The eagle flight has collapsed

This was done everyday and so much snow came down at night flights still went down. Thankfully, not one bird or mammal was hurt. This all happened even though our dedicated volunteers and staff were there everyday including Christmas shoveling or using large shop brooms (they have since been broken) and rakes to get the snow off the flights. These people were climbing all over chain link enclosures, tall ladders onto roofs, snow drifts trying get some snow off of netting, you name it they did it. [See what I mean about added cost]

We saved the redtail flight, the owl flight, Hu Ayke's flight, the peregrine flight, both hunting flights, bobcat pens, the large mammal pen, the beaver condo, and all the new cedar flights.

We really hope this is all but you never know....

We have a huge clean up ahead and anyone who would like to volunteer their time and/or dollars will be greatly appreciated.

For now if you are interested, please contact Kelly Pattison at kelly@sarveywildlife.org or call 360-435-4817. Stay tuned for more info.
I would like to publicly thank these volunteers and staff for going above and beyond...

Ann, for being there everyday and working so hard!! . . .

Angie (our brand new hire) for driving from Bellevue just to work in the snow and freeze and bringing food to the shut ins.

The shut ins were Tammie and Kelly, they couldn't leave and worked their hearts out saving this place day and night.
Our clinic director Leslie Henry who was here on Christmas morning 7AM not to mention all the other days. (see her in the gallery)
Thanks to Mark who also spent the night and worked for days.
To Kestrel and Ben who came in on Christmas morning, with a chain saw to cut the tree off the ambulance.

For all of these people to get here the driving was treacherous, that alone is enough to stop the average person but it didn't stop our people.
You guys are the best!!

Jeff Guidry
President
Sarvey Wildlife Care Center

Volunteers

http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Volunteers.aspx

Check out the sections

PEOPLE VOLUNTEERS (Check site for requirements)

For information about becoming being one our wildlife volunteers contact Kelly kelly@sarveywildlife.org

http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Content.aspx?id=157 == Inside Volunteers

http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Content.aspx?id=159 == Outside Volunteers

FINANCIAL VOLUNTEERS

Sarvey Wildlife Center is funded totally by donations, no state, or federal money at all.

We have a large base of occasional donors and a small base of regular donors. Most of these people have had occasion to bring an animal to the Center. The occasional large gift has frequently been the single factor keeping us open.
We need any and all types of donations, money and time are the overriding ones.
Links to Wish list as follows:

http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Content.aspx?id=60 == Everyday Donations List We Need http://www.sarveywildlife.org/Content.aspx?id=202 == Diet Specific Food Needed

Love is the Expression of Our Sacred Father's Love Shining through Us