MPDA Vice-President On Valentina Project

THE MALAYSIAN PARKINSON'S DISEASE ASSOCIATION (MPDA) in Kuala Lumpur continues to be one of Petpositive's strongest supporters.

Engineer Sivaraman Kannan (left), who is not only Vice-President of the MPDA but also a member of Petpositive took part in our now epoch-making animal-assisted therapy activity at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, last month.

Siva, who turns 70 years old next May, has had Parkinson's disease for almost 12 years. He was one of Petpositive's official photographers for the event, a service he very kindly offered free of charge.

The MPDA VP wrote earlier today to share with PET+BLOGSPOT what he thought about the whole event and what it meant to him.

Here now is his letter in full:

AN UNEXPECTED OUTING TO REMEMBER

Story by Sivaraman Kannan. Photos by Ruwaidy Mat Rasul.


I got an invitation from Anthony to join the Petpositive group for a day outing at the FRIM Botanical Gardens in Kepong.

I gladly accepted the golden opportunity and at daybreak on Tuesday, 30th October, started my journey from Kajang to Kepong.

I had to leave early because I had to negotiate through a few traffic congested areas and I was not quite sure of the route to the Gardens.

Though Anthony sent a location guide in his e-mail, my computer went kaput and I could not print it out. I tried to make a sketch of the map but the shaking of my hand due to my condition was so bad that I could not read my own writing!

So I left early to be on time with my sketchy sketch map and headed for FRIM.

I reached the main entrance of the FRIM complex and it turned out that the Botanical Gardens was further away. The guard was so helpful that he even got another guard to lead me to the Garden on his motorbike because oral directions were complicated!

I was under the impression that we were going for a normal stroll in the gardens and was surprised that a jungle-trekking event was on the main programme!

I was even more surprised when the participants started arriving. There were people not only on wheelchairs but prams also. There was this group of blind people and another group of Deaf people.

Though we had groups with various disabilities and at the first glance very, very unsuitable for jungle-trekking, the enthusiasm and expectation written on their faces had to be seen and cannot be described in words.

After the registration and other formalities were completed, we were separated into two groups. The first group went jungle-trekking while the second group was briefed on the work done by the FRIM landscaping team led by the organisation's horticulturist Mr Elango Velautham.

There were many volunteers around to help and assist the participants.

We also had a few animals to join us. We had one cat, two rabbits , three frogs and four dogs!

Surprisingly the dogs and cats were very well behaved in each others' presence.

There were lots of food and drinks for all. After the briefing, we went on the jungle-trek route.

Frankly I expected a route on fairly level area going around the plants and bushes around the lakes. I was pleasantly surprised when the trek actually entered a jungle, albeit a man-made on at that, the product of Mr. Elango’s fine team.

If not for the concrete pathway, the jungle did not look man-made at all.

My congratulations to Mr. Elango and his team for a job well planned and done. This is the only place where people with movement disabilities can get a glimpse of our jungles and forests with reasonably easy access.

We had our lunch and the group photography sessions before ending a very unusual and enjoyable day.

Thank you Anthony and your team for the wonderful day!

PS: Just a few suggestions about the jungle-track itself:

• Please have it more often.



• The walking patients need a rest area every 200 to 300 metres where they can sit.



• The concrete pathway should have a kerb on the side facing a fall in ground level. Wheelchair patients may topple over if the wheels go over the side of the concrete pathway.



• In the jungle-trek route, have regular level areas where slow patients can rest while allowing others to proceed without hindrance.



• For the jungle trekking, have at least TWO volunteer helpers for every wheelchair patient instead of one. The slopes can be tricky especially if it is wet. The strain can be too much for one caregiver or volunteer to push a patient up hill .

End.

CATCH PETPOSITIVE ON NATIONAL RADIO ON THURSDAY!

UNTIL now you've only been reading about it.

Now it's time to perk your ears up and listen!

Get it all direct, as they say, from the horse's mouth.

Petpositive is going 'live' on national radio on THURSDAY, NOV 15, 2007.

Valentina Project Coordinator Lynda Merican and aNt will be interviewed by the popular deejay Jezza (Below, right) on his TraxxFM's 101 talk show.

The interview will start at 11.15am and end at 12noon.

Lynda and aNt (Below, right) will be sharing all the exciting, funny and insightful details of what transpired in Malaysia's first and successful animal-assisted therapy session conducted with nearly 80 participants. Half of them were people with disabilities, the elderly and their families.

Of course, not to mention, there will be highlights of our main stars of the event too: two rabbits, one cat (Kombillitom, below, right), three forest frogs and four dogs!

(For nationwide frequency details of the RTM English broadcaster, kindly click on the name of the talk show above and it will take you to their homepage for the information you require)

PETPOSITIVE WISHES YOU A HAPPY WEEKEND AND A HAPPY DEEPAVALI.

DEEPAVALI GET-TOGETHER UPDATE: An elderly gentleman with Parkinson's disease and a teenager with spina bifida (wheelchair) have just confirmed their attendance.

We can still take a few more persons. Please call 012 220 3146 (aNt) or mailto:petpositive@yahoo.com

End.

Valentina Project Report in Malaysiakini Today

Petpositive's first animal-assisted therapy session
Nov 5, 07 12:24pm
By Malaysiakini

DISABILITY and old age will no longer be a barrier from now on to those who intend to keep pets - thanks largely to Petpositive, the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association in Kuala Lumpur.

Anyone who fits under the two categories may seek the society's services to receive the therapeutic benefits of pets.

Formed last year and officially launched three months ago, Petpositive organised an extraordinary outing last Tuesday in collaboration with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (Frim) in Kepong, Selangor.

The Petpositive event was called the Valentina Project, named after Valentina, a partially disabled nine-year-old rabbit which took part in an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) session last February.

Although Valentina sadly died two months later of cancer, her memory lives on.

About 80 people took part in an animal encounter session which marked the first AAT session in the country for disabled and elderly persons.




As an added bonus, the event included a one-hour walk in the Frim jungle offering nature therapy as well to the trekkers.

Nearly half of the participants aged 18 to 80, were people with disabilities, the elderly and their caregivers.

Suhakam's Siva present



The handicapped comprised people with a cross section of disabilities. They included the blind, deaf, the physically disabled to people with profound and multiple disabilities.

The elderly were made up of diabetics, persons with Parkinson's disease - as well as representatives of people with depression and mental illness. The rest were all Petpositive volunteers.

On hand to officiate at the half-day event (9am-1pm) was by Suhakam Commissioner Siva Subramaniam.

Speaking to the group, Siva said he was pleased to note that AAT was now being used in the country to improve the quality of lives of disabled and elderly people.

"By reaching out to people through animals, we are not only doing something quite unique from others," he said, adding that "it also wonderfully demonstrates the extent we as Malaysians are prepared to go to show our concern for those who are still marginalized in our society."

Siva concluded by commending Petpositive for its unique role and mission to the disadvantaged.

Speaking for Petpositive, Lynda Merican, the event coordinator explained: "We are passionate about getting disabled and elderly Malaysians to interact and bond with pets.

"By doing so, they will have the opportunity to draw from their often uncanny and special 'powers' for healthy and positive living," Lynda added.

Participants were introduced to a variety of animals during the AAT session. These included two rabbits, one cat and three wild frogs.

The frogs were captured the night before from the forest. They were safely released back into their natural environment the next day.

Truly a joyous day





Participants got to hold, feel and even smell the animals. The blind and the deaf shrieked with delight as they said this was the first time that they had a chance to get so close to some of the creatures.

"It was such a joy to see the physically disabled and the others participate with so much enthusiasm even though some of them were visibly exhausted by the activities," observed Norsham Yaakob, a zoologist by training and a research officer of Frim.

Norsham conducted the animal exposure session.

The disabled in wheelchairs, accompanied by their dogs, also got to go jungle trekking in a special 400-metre area that was recently built for wheelchairs.

Frim research officer Elango Velautham, who conceived the idea of the wheelchair path to bring the forest closer to the disabled said that the most rewarding moment for him was the excitement he saw in the faces of the blind.






"They wanted not only to feel everything at every stop, but it was also quite a challenge for me to have to describe every detail to them," said the horticulturist whose responsibility was to lead all the participants through the jungle trek.

An elderly participant with Parkinson's disease said that although he found the jungle pathway too steep for his wheelchair, he was glad that he came.

The experience allowed him to meet people with different types of disabilities and to learn from their experiences.





A mother of a profoundly disabled young woman said she has never seen her daughter so happy to be with strangers at Frim.

"She usually cries when I am not around her," the mother explained.

"However, during the jungle walk, she allowed the volunteers to wheel her without making a fuss.

"That's because my daughter realized that she was in good company with people who truly care for her." She concluded.

For more information on Petpositive, visit http://www.petpositive.blogspot.com/

COMING SOON: More reports about our Valentina Project in pictures and words from Petpositive. Also unique perspectives from participants who attended the event. Stay tuned!

Petpositive on Prime-Time TV

DID YOU WATCH?


PETPOSITIVE

WAS ON PRIME-

TIME TELEVISION

YESTERDAY!




A friend of mine called me up from Pulau Tikus in Penang and told me he caught our animal-assisted therapy event at FRIM in ntv7's Chinese news broadcast.


I caught Media Prima Berhad's 8pm English news called the 7 Edition. Sure enough Petpositive was given prime news coverage.


Some said that the news clip lasted two minutes. I thought it lasted one minute. Whatever, it was expertly crafted, I thought.


Ntv7 which is owned and operated by Natseven TV Sdn Bhd, rightly mentioned that our Valentina Project was AAT history in the making.


The TV station also interviewed several of the disabled persons present for the views. I thought that it gave great support to our cause.


Our sincere thanks goes to Ntv7 for covering our event.


We'd also like to thank Petpositive ordinary committee member and Valentina Project Disabled & Elderly Persons Coordinator Chan Mee Leng for inviting ntv7 for us.

Here she is (below pix by aNt) with her lovely dog during a test visit before our project.

TOMORROW: All the details of Petpositive's upcoming Deepavali party where you can participate if you are a disabled or elderly person. (Please feel free to forward this blog to your friends!)

COMING SOON:

• Details of live interview on TraxxFM over our FRIM event.


• The Valentina Project: The complete story in words and pictures


• Who was Valentina?: We hear from her human parents who raised her - as well as was by her side when she died.


• Star Metro report on FRIM event.


• Malaysiakini report on the event.


• Tatler's Christmas issue on VP
  

The End

Malaysia's First Official AAT Kicks Off!

PETPOSITIVE BRIEF UPDATE:


(Picture by Ruwaidy Mat Rasul)

AAT LAUNCHED!

It's now official.

Malaysians with disabilities and the elderly can now look forward to having more outings with their pets.

If they have none, they can expect to be invited to events where they will be there so that they can be exposed to the uncanny special powers of animals for healing and healthy living!

The first animal-assisted therapy (AAT) session for disabled and elderly Malaysians was successfully kicked off earlier this morning.

The activity was opened by Suhakam Commissioner Dato' Siva Subramaniam at the Kepong Botanical Gardens in Selangor.

Addressing some 80 participants - nearly half of them people with disabilites, their cargivers and their pets, Dato Siva said he was extremely pleased that AAT had finally arrived in Malaysia.

"By reaching out through AAT, we demonstrate that we care much more than others," he pointed out.

Petpositive's Vice-President Dr Anna Padma Soosai (pictured above) and our Society's official doctor on call for the event handed several momentos to Dato' Siva after his encouraging speech.

"Dato' Siva's speech is one of the best speeches I've heard," said Lynda Merican, the Petpositive Event Coordinator to this Blog. "He was truly spot-on with his delivery," she added.

The blind, Deaf, people in wheelchairs and the profoundly handicapped were afterwards lead by by able-bodied volunteers on a nature walk into the forest.

They were later introduced to various pets. These included two rabbits, three wild frogs from the forest that was captured the night before (and released later), and one home and office cat.

Four dogs were also present. These were personal pets of some of the participants, including the disabled and the elderly. They accompanied their owners up the jungle trail that was made for wheelchairs in FRIM.

The AAT event called the Valentina Project was named after a nine-year old rabbit named Valentina. The bunny which was the first lagomorph (a member of the rodent clan) to attend a Petpositive Committee Meeting in February of this year.

Valentina, sadly died of cancer two months later. She belonged to Captain Karim Stuart Russell and Fasidah Sabeh, Petpositive's official rabbit care specialists who reside in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

LOOK OUT FOR FULL DAILY REPORTS ON OUR FRIM EXCURSION BEGINNING

FROM TOMORROW!

P+Blog End

No bias in the forest

(Friends in FRIM: Above picture

by Norsham)


DATELINE FRIM, KEPONG:

TUESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2007, 9am - 1pm:



WHEN TWO DOZEN disabled and elderly Malaysians - most of them for the first time in their lives - venture into the Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) early next week with their wheelchairs, walking aids and white canes, they will have to face several challenges.


One of them - hopefully - is to overcome their fears and worst nightmares.


These include having an aversion to creepy crawlies like spiders and cold-blooded creatures that many of us would never dream of getting close to: large lizards, warty frogs - and even possibly a snake or two!


However, fret not everybody because we in Petpositive have no plans of introducing a Fear Factor made-for-television style experience to our participants.


In fact, what we have in mind is far better than anything the US TV host Joe Rogen (below, right) can muster.

FRIEND OF THE FOREST


Say hello to zoologist Norsham Suhaina Yaakob (Below, left). A true friend to the forest and its biodiversity, she will be conducting a session where the disabled and the elderly will be able to get close and personal to some of the real and natural residents of FRIM.


Depending on which of the nocturnal creatures that she is able to to catch on the night before the animal therapy session, it was initially difficult to get the animal rights activist to agree to do the session for Petpositive.

Norsham was more worried about the stress levels and discomfort our event would cause to these wonderful creatures (and rightfully so) but she finally consented when she realised that this was to help the disabled and elderly persons.

However, not before coming up with effective plans on how to keep the animals as comfortable as possible first, such as keeping frogs constantly re hydrated, etc.

Norsham who works at the Kepong Botanical Garden in FRIM told Petpositive Blog (P+B) that our upcoming event on Tuesday with the elderly and the disabled was the "perfect project for everyone to finally see nature as a form of therapy."

(Left: Green always keeps this girl grinning from ear to ear.)

"Many animals which originated from the wild have been domesticated either to aid our economic activities, for our protection or as good companions to human beings," she added.

Norsham who is currently posted at the plant nursery in FRIM first joined the organisation in 1998.

"Animals and plants accept people as they are with no bias," she points out.

"They do not care how we look or how we smell. Their acceptance is full and unconditional."

Norsham who has six cats in her home says taking part with Petpositive and working with the disabled, elderly, animals and nature has helped expand her horizon.

"I feel that I will be doing something positive for people and knowing that you're making a difference in the lives of others is a wonderful feeling to have.

"I would like to encourage more disabled and elderly persons to take up the challenge to open themselves to nature and then experience for themselves, the true power of nature," she concludes.

PETPOSITIVE WOULD LIKE TO SAY SYABAS TO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. Melvin (012-205 5140) of Sindhu Trading (03-6272 3340) who are specialists in videography, music machine, sweets and food catering for sponsoring lunch to Petpositive for 70-persons at our Valentina Project in FRIM.



2. Harvinder Kaur for putting us in touch with Melvin and arranging for 50 chairs and 5 tables to be delivered to FRIM with absolutely no cost to Petpositive. Congratulations also goes to Harvi for being elected Secretary of the PSOCAM, a KL national based sports society for the physically disabled.



3. The Association of British Women of Malaysia (ABWM) in KL for funding to meet our other costs in arranging for the upcoming event.

The End

Walking in the disabled's shoes

WHEN CLOSE TO 25-DISABLED AND ELDERLY MALAYSIANS make their way up and down a specially designed 400-metre pathway for wheelchairs in Kepong, Selangor, next Tuesday - it would be a wonderful experience of emotions for each and every one of them!


Surprisingly, the idea didn't come from us at Petpositive. The pets part was ours.


However, the jungle adventure aspect came from two incredible researchers from FRIM - the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia where Petpositive's first-ever animal-assisted therapy session takes place next week.


Meet ELANGO VELAUTHAM (Below, right) : FRIM's research officer for over two years.


Elango obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in horticulture in UPM in 1995.

In 2004, he graduated with a Masters of Science Degree at the Imperial College in London.

His expertise? Taxonomy (the science of classification of life forms) and biodiversity.

The 38-year-old's interest in the disabled came from his own experience of handicap.

His athletic activities as a runner during the late 1980s put him in a hospital, leaving him to be what he describes as "temporarily incapacitated."

Elango was left to pick up the pieces after a surgery when a metal plate was inserted into his body to strengthen his broken bones.

The ordeal caused him to spend long weeks and months first in a wheelchair and then on crutches.

It took a full five years after his leg operation before Elango stopped limping completely.

"Even though five years is a very long time, it is comparatively short when you consider that many people have been disabled all their lives either through an accident, disease or birth condition," Elango points out.

The nature expert says that his experience with handicap had been positive.

LEARNING THROUGH DISABILITY

"I have learnt much when I was disabled, especially the feelings of frustrations, helplessness and even low self-esteem," he points out.

"It's for this reason why I feel so strongly that nature with its diversity of plant and animal life can be extremely therapeutic and healing for the disabled and the elderly.

Elango who was instrumental in coming up with the wheelchair-friendly trail at FRIM says that he has always wanted to bring the beauty of nature to vulnerable groups like the disabled and the elderly.

"Now through Petpositive, my dream has come true where I hope that I can be a positive influence to a disabled or elderly person who might be hurting or suffering from a lack of self confidence or dignity," he says.

"I want to see disabled and elderly people have a time of their lives. . . " Elango.

The nature expert who had been working for seven years on reforestation before he joined FRIM concluded his interview with this blogger with the following:

"My greatest wish is first and foremost to see the disabled and the elderly having the time of their lives with nature and the great outdoors.

"I hope that this will lead them to start thinking about doing something with nature that could enrich their lives lives.

"Instead of staying indoors, the jungle walk will get them motivated about doing interesting thngslike growing a plant, taking up bird watching, etc because nature has so much to give all os us - including the disabled and the elderly."

Elango is the person-in-charge to conduct the nature walk in FRIM.


For more information on the Petpositive, please contact us.

Please note that the Tuesday outing is only for registered participants. Registration for the current AAT programme is now closed. The next one will be held early next year.

Thank you

Petpostive


TOMORROW: Meet zoologist Norsham Yaakob, the woman who not only thinks that frogs, lizards and even snakes are cool but will also be introducing some of these creatures we love to loathe to the participants on Tuesday.

End

Animal-Assisted Therapy Gets a Big Boost

PETPOSITIVE BREAKING NEWS!
SUHAKAM COMMISSIONER TO LAUNCH ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR THE DISABLED AND ELDERLY IN FRIM.

(Picture left: Dato' Siva Subramaniam to do the honours)

Dateline: Kepong, Selangor, Tuesday, 30/10/2007:

LOCAL HISTORY WILL BE WRITTEN DOWN next week when Malaysia's first-ever animal-assisted therapy [AAT] session for the disabled and the elderly session gets official - and underway - at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia [FRIM] in Kepong.

The VIP who will be assisting Petpositive to mark this epoch-making event for hundreds of lonely and unempowered disabled and elderly Malaysians' lives who currently don't own pets is Suhakam Commissioner Dato' Siva Subramaniam.

The former National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) Executive Secretary and current Adviser to CUEPACS (Congress Of Unions Of Employees In The Public And Civil Services, Malaysia) very kindly consented to oblige us when our Society approached Dato' Siva for support.

In a simple ceremony at approximately 9.30am, which has never been witnessed before in my living memory, the highly esteemed Official from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia will kick off the Valentina Project (VP).

VP is Petpositive's pet-mission to promote AAT for all disabled and elderly persons in our nation in order to live positive and a high quality of life.

The launch by Dato' Siva will play a pivotal part in bursting open the doors of opportunities for people with all types of handicaps and senior citizens to enjoy keeping pets.

Through the non judgemental and fully accepting nature of animals, be they the furry, feathered or finned kind, Petpositive hopes that through the bonding of special companions, our target groups will find comfort and strength in coping with disabilities and old age.

THANK YOU DATO' SIVA FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT IN HELPING TO BRING SPECIAL COMPANIONS INTO OUR LIVES!

The Valentina Project includes a never-before attempted nature walk of people with varying types of handicaps in the forest.

Jungle-trekkers with disabilities, using wheelchairs, white canes and walkers - including the blind and the Deaf - will be led through a special pathway for wheelchairs on Tuesday.
Two FRIM experts will tell this blogger why they thought of including the disabled in their special project.

You can read about it in this blog, TOMORROW!

For further information about Petpositive, please contact us.

KINDLY NOTE THAT TUESDAY'S EVENT IS ONLY FOR THE 70-ODD PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED WITH PETPOSITIVE AND FRIM.

WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT UNREGISTERED PERSONS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE AREA.

SO PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Thanks,

Petpositive

Time to meet the people behind the Valentina Project

EIGHT MORE DAYS TO HAPPINESS!



That's probably what's going on right now in the minds of some 25-odd disabled and


elderly persons as they eagerly anticipate what Petpositive has in store for them come


Tuesday morning next week.


It's being called the Valentina Project (VP) - a unique initiative cleverly and jointly designed by the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong, Selangor.

The experience in FRIM promises to be one that's full of jungle adventures as well as encounters with heartwarming animals.

People with all types of disabilities and the elderly together with their caregivers, friends and even pets, will be taking part.


They will be joined by an army of volunteers. The entire group will comprise about 70 persons.

It's time now to briefly meet the forces behind The Valentina Project:



(Kindly click on the images to make them bigger)

1. LYNDA MERICAN's great big smile says everything.

Born in the UK and now happily married to a Malaysian husband, the mother to two handsome boys joined Petpositive shortly after our Society's Charity and Fundraising Dinner last July.

She is now Petpostive's Special Adviser and Special Events Coordinator.

More importantly, Lynda is the Captain-in-charge of the Valentina Project. Also actively involved in other charities like Salaam Wanita, she is often able to see the bigger picture in our planning when some of us fail to.

Lynda doesn't just see into the disabled and elderly person's needs but she is also mindful of the many able-bodied volunteers who will be present at our function.

Lynda was instrumental in getting a local international school from Kuala Lumpur to send 15 young volunteers to help us out at the VP. (Look out for that story and pictures coming soon in another blog)

Before she joined Petpositive, she was able to get special funding for our VP activity from the Association of British Women in Malaysia where she served as Charity Coordinator - a post she held for the past two years until April this year.

She recently confessed to this blogger that working on the VP has been a lot of fun for her.

"I have had the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people who all have the same passion to improve the quality of life for all living things; whether they are people with disabilities, animals or plants!" Says Lynda.

"Through our VP we hope to bring all three together to make one great day out," she adds.

"I hope that each participant and volunteer will at the end of the event go away with some new experiences and memories that they will cherish.

"I also hope that the day will help reduce the barriers that have developed between man, animal and our environment," she concludes.

Lynda has two dogs, Cola the Alsatian and Abby, the Dalmatian.

The spotted female canine who is wonderful with people will make a "guest-appearance" at the VP.

2) aNt: That's me! (Not the handsome devil in the photograph but the three letters you see after the numerical two)


I'm what you could call the fire-breathing, no-nonsense, slave-driving, honcho in Petpositive.

And it's been a wonderful learning experience for me too just planning for the event.


The people that I'm working with now from Lynda to everyone else that you are going to read about in the next few days until our great event are simply the best, as Tina Turner puts it in her best-selling song.

They have no personal ambitions or "hidden agendas" as they say over the upcoming VP.


All they want to do is to make about 25 disabled and elderly people have a chance to do something that they've never done before.

That's it. Plain and simple!

And that's why I love this group so much. They're incredibly dedicated to people and pets too.

Every planning meeting turns out to be loads of fun, despite the occasional disagreements we might have. And that's also probably because all of us feel so passionately about the VP that we can't stop ourselves from trying to be perfectionists in what we do.

How's that for a great bunch?

Enough about me and my rantings.

The cute face you saw in the photograph earlier with the droopy ears is sporting on that mischievous look again.

He does that whenever he spots something which he wants to give it a good chase.

It's really going to be tough for me to keep him with me as a full-fledged service dog should a tree shrew or eagle fall out of the sky - or even something more bigger and menacing (I can hope, can't I) starts to dart across us in the wild?

Well, if anything like that happens, I'll be the first to tell you about that in this blog.

By the way guys, I need to tell you that only those who've already registered for our FRIM event are invited to turn up that day. The invitation is now CLOSED.

We thought of working with a small group first before working with more disabled and elderly people in future.

The good news, however, is that we're planning to do the same thing again in the first quarter of 2008.

This time it will be geared for kids with disabilities.

If you want to join us as a volunteer or know of disabled applicants who would benefit from such a programme, get in touch with us, will you?

Finally, I end this blog with a photograph of a brand new and shining wheelchair that popped up from nowhere in the front door of my home a couple of hours ago.

Actually, two medical professors of a nearby hospital were the "culprits". After reading a message in our blog asking for wheelchairs, these kind angels went out and got us one.

They also made it a point to make it a special and personal delivery! They came with their young son.

What a delightful surprise - the lengths to which people would go to for the sake of other peoples' happiness. I am deeply touched.

These great guys, however, have forbidden me from revealing their identities to you, except to say that it is a gift from "two well-wishes". (True to my naughty self as usual, I broke part of that deal to at least telling you that they are medical professors)

Thanks dear doctors. Petpositive really appreciates what you both did.

By the way, to the rest of you: we still need wheelchairs if you have any. Even used or old ones will do - as long as they are in working condition.

Here's the wheelchair (below). It costs RM1, 400. A good buy for the money, certainly as its parts are detachable. It is also a lightweight wheelchair.

TOMORROW: Meet the FRIM experts who came up with the brilliant idea to make nature accessible to the handicapped.

Ciao!

aNt