MJ was brought in by a farmer. He had seen her lying lifeless on the ground with her Mummy frantically trying to get her to her feet, and watched her all day. At the end of the day he brought her inside to keep her safe from foxes and also to keep her warm as nights were very cold. We believe she had been hooning through the paddocks as bubs tend to do and ran into a tree. The next morning he took her to the vet. The next day I was on my way home with her as her new Mummy. I named her MJ Miracle Joey because she really needed a miracle. We hoped it was just minor bruising and she would be up and running again soon and we could reunite her with her Mummy, who hung around for days looking for her baby.
It was not to be. The second day in our care she went into respiratory distress which resulted in an emergency dash to my vet Shey from Nullakai Veterinary Service who came in even though it was ANZAC Day. We noticed that any time she was on her back it caused her breathing issues. Shey took Xrays and found some bruised ligaments in her back. As MJ was not in any pain she was given anti-inflammatory medication and given a chance to get better.
She was completely paralysed unable to even lift her head off the ground. I set up the portacot in the living area and laid her on her side so she could breathe and be comfortable. She adjusted to the bottle easily and the long road to recovery began.
Oh did that little girl teach me a lot about myself. She was tenacious, she had such a will to live. She fell, she got up, she fell again and got up again. Every milestone was met with bright eyes and a smile. The day she was outside and held her head up was the happiest day for me.
I taught her to stand, then to walk and finally to hoon like a real joey. To aid her recovery there were twice weekly visits to my chiropractor (under cover of darkness ssshhhh) where he worked on her spine. MJ took every treatment submissively. On her last visit she looked into the chiropractor eyes for the very first time and licked his hand, as if to say thank you for helping me.
Then came the day when MJ needed a larger recovery area to strengthen her legs. My heart broke when we took her to the most amazing and wonderful carer who offered to take MJ to release. MJ now had a new joey friend named Polly, with space to run and become a roo again. I visited her every Sunday and loved my time in the pen giving her cuddles and her bottle.
After a couple of weeks we noticed that MJ was going backwards, her hands were clenching again and she was not very steady on her feet. Her new Mummy massaged her daily and could not have done anything more for her, but her injuries were irreversible. I had just listened to an expert at the Sydney Wildlife Conference, who talked about spinal injuries in our roos and how it is almost impossible to get them back to release. I was feeling so blessed that we had won with MJ when I got the call that she had passed away peacefully in the arms of her new Mummy. I was heartbroken and devastated. We had fought so hard for her and with her.
I believe God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives and from that moment on I knew I wanted to be a full time wildlife carer. MJ taught me about persistence, of never giving up, persevering through the odds and also the importance of having a safe and supportive network of carers who help each other for the sake of our wildlife, who leave personalities at the door to help out. Without this amazing network MJ didn't have a hope. She taught me to get up when I fell, to get up again and again. MJ I still Love you so much. I still find it hard to talk about you without tearing up. You were such a wonderful special little girl.
MJ was the inspiration behind Amaris and God has blessed my work here abundantly. With currently 8 joeys on soft release, some now with babies in their pouch and 6 joeys in care, it is a busy life. A HUGE thank you to Becki who was a big part in MJ's life. Without her support and encouragement I could not have been the Mummy I was to MJ.
