[ SHOWGSD-L ] Ella and the Good Fight - long

From: <cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:25:26 -0400
After losing our young boy, "Dylan," a few short months ago, once again, my 
heart has been shattered and yet another piece wrenched from me...  Three weeks 
ago today, we helped our dear, sweet "Ella" to the Bridge.  For exactly one 
year, Ella fought a battle that she could not win.  A battle against an 
extremely aggressive cancer that insidiously invaded almost every organ in her 
body with its evilness.  Ella fought her fight with unparalleled courage and 
grace.  Although Ella had several setbacks over the past year, each and every 
time, she rallied in a big, and sometimes astounding, way.  I have many 
memories of Ella that I'll cherish forever, here are but a few...

My favorite memory of Ella will always be that of a magical afternoon on a 
snowy winter's day...  At dusk, my husband and I took Ella and her best friend, 
"Meggie," on a snow walk up to the "high pasture."  The sun had just set behind 
the hills and the sky was painted an almost unbelievable deep shade of pink, 
slashed through with red.  A beautiful, ethereal pink glow was cast over 
everything.  Against this "theater backdrop," we watched Meggie and Ella "snow 
dance" until the last vestiges of light faded from the sky.  I took video and 
pictures of the girls performing their "snow dance," but I really didn't need 
to do so.  There's no way I could ever forget this moment in time.


Ella was blinded during an attempt to remove the primary tumor.  After a brief 
period of disorientation, Ella accepted her fate and carried on.  She had 
tremendous ball drive and played fetch just as well blind as she did when she 
was sighted.  I swear she had sonar!  When Ella was blinded, I felt pretty bad 
for her.  I shouldn't have.  I came to realize that she could see...  Almost 
every afternoon, just before dusk, Ella and I would sit at the top of the hill 
"watching" the sun set.  Ella would sit, still as a statue, face turned toward 
the last rays of the dying sun and "inspect" her world.  Whenever a breeze 
rolled over her, her nose would quiver like a rabbit. Her ears would swivel 
like antennae, seeking out the sounds of the forest.  She was happy, content.  
Never longing for her lost vision as a human would have done.


Ella was a great ambassador for the Breed and was loved by everyone everywhere 
she went.  When the oncology service found out they were getting a case of a 
recently blinded GSD, they didn't know what to expect.  They certainly didn't 
expect Miss Ella!  She licked their hands while they performed procedures that, 
at times, were quite painful.  I think *everyone* at the Vet School fell madly 
in love with her!


A good friend once told me that every dog, who comes into our lives, has a 
lesson to teach us.  Ella certainly taught me a lesson...  Ella should have had 
"carpe diem" tattooed onto her forehead for that's exactly what she did...  She 
seized every single day with great gusto.  She was a fighter and loved life 
regardless of the rotten hand fate had dealt her.  I strive to be like Ella.


My heartfelt thanks to you, all my "List Friends," for your prayers and kind 
thoughts for Ella and us over the past year.  This was a great comfort to my 
husband and me, and I believe it helped Ella survive as long as she did with 
such a great quality of life.  Thank you, My Friends.  Thanks for caring so 
much about a little dog you never even met.


Godspeed Miss Ella.
11/17/07 - 08/25/10


Paulette McGuirt (and Charlie)
Wellborn-Allemande German Shepherds
Qui Me Amat, Amat et Canem Meam
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[ SHOWGSD-L ] Ella and the Good Fight - long

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