Hi Everybody!
I’m a baby cow and I want to tell you my life story. I’m only about four months old but I have a lot to tell and maybe it will help another baby cow! But I’m going to tell just a little at a time, ok?
Being born was a pretty wild adventure, but me and my mommy did it! I wasn’t sure where I was after I was born but there were new smells and noises I’d never heard before. I couldn’t see but I knew my mommy was there because she started licking me all over. Then she nudged me to help me get up, and I eventually did, but it wasn’t easy! She nudged me again and I found out what the breakfast bar was! I got a full tummy before I had to lay down again. After awhile, Mommy nudged me to get back up and I did it, but when I tried to move my legs, my legs would get tangled up and I’d fall. We went through this a lot of times – my legs just wouldn’t work right. My mommy told me to keep trying and to never give up!
My mommy stayed with me for a couple of days, but on the third day, she asked me to try extra hard to walk because she needed to go away to graze. As usual, I’d take a couple of steps and my legs would get tangled up and I’d fall down. She told me not to worry, she’d go without me, but she said she wouldn’t go very far and would be back soon. I did start to worry after she had been gone awhile – I’d never been totally alone before and I was starting to get hungry. But then I heard my mommy and the next thing I knew, she was licking me again! She was happy to be back and nudged me to the milk bar. She told me that she needs to go off to drink water and graze because she couldn’t feed me if she didn’t get nourishment. She said there were other cows that grazed too and sometimes she’d have to go far to find good grass.
I think I can…
Everyday my mommy went to graze and get water, but she’d always come back and nudge me to the milk bar. She knew that while she was gone I’d try to make my legs work – I wasn’t going to give up! But most of the time, I laid on the ground, even when it rained and when the hot sun was out. As the days passed, my mommy seemed to get sad or maybe she was just tired. Maybe it was too hard on her to come and go because it was so hot – even at night it was really hot!
I learned to eat the grass around where I was laying, but it didn’t last long. Each time I tried to walk, I’d move a little before falling down in a different spot. But when I landed, I would find a little bit of new grass! And then guess what? One day I didn’t fall all the way down – I landed on my knees which gave me an idea and I decided to master getting around on my knees! I was excited and couldn’t wait to show my mommy – maybe I’d be able to go with her the next day! That evening, I showed her and she said she was very proud of me and that made me happy! I wanted to go with her the next day but she said it would be too hard for me. She said that I was a very special little girl and she didn’t want the other cows to bother me.
Waiting on Mommy
One day after my mommy left, I heard something that sounded like the owner’s truck and then I heard two different human voices but neither was our owner. I was nervous without my mommy, but I stayed brave! The humans said they were afraid coyotes would get me or I’d get sick from laying on the ground in the storms or I’d overheat because I couldn’t get to water. I wanted to tell them that my mommy wouldn’t let coyotes get me but they didn’t understand baby cow language! The humans must have been watching for a few days because one of them said she was worried that I’d get dehydrated, or something like that, because my mommy was leaving me for longer periods of time. She put something up to my nose and I stuck my tongue out and moved it around to see if I could taste anything and one of the humans laughed – she said I splashed water in her face! I learned what water was! The humans agreed to take turns bringing me water every day which meant I’d have water and visitors!
When my mommy came back that evening, I told her about the humans and when I said they were going to bring me water each day, I could tell it made her happy. She said it made her feel much better knowing I’d get water because I couldn’t live without it and she couldn’t bring it to me. She said when I’m about 6 or 7 months old, I’ll have to be able to graze and get water on my own. I asked her, since I was still little and working on the grazing part and humans were going to bring me water each day, if life was going to be ok. She nuzzled me and reminded me to never give up, or lose hope, and then she nudged me to the milk bar.
When my mommy was gone, I looked forward to getting water each day from the humans. Sometimes, both of them would come. One day, I heard one say that she was going to visit my owner to talk about me. Then the next time they came, I heard them talking and one of them said my owner didn’t want their help because my legs would get better over time. But days and more days went by, and my legs weren’t getting better.
A New Adventure
When the humans came again, I showed them how I could get around on my knees. One of them said I was mostly going around in circles which, I learned later, is why I wasn’t getting anywhere! They said they were going to talk to my owner again to tell him that my mommy was away for longer periods of time and that I needed help. They wanted to take me somewhere so I could get help for my legs! I thought “Wow! They’re going to fix my legs so I’ll be able to walk and go with my mommy every day to graze on good grass instead of going around in circles on my knees!” I got excited at the thought of surprising my mommy someday by running up behind her and then joining her to go graze! When she got back later that evening, I told her what the human said and I could hear a happiness in her voice and that made me feel good!
The next morning, my mommy said that she was proud of me and would always love me. She said I was a determined little girl and she wanted me to promise to keep my “never give up” attitude and to always have hope! She said I’m special and that God isn’t done with me yet. She nuzzled me more than usual, and I sensed something was different when she left, but I didn’t know what it was – maybe it was my imagination. Then the humans came and gave me water and I heard one of them say, “She’s only 5 minutes away.” Then I realized it was happening – I was going to get help for my legs! One of the humans said they’d come back that evening to check on my mommy and that made me feel better, but I still wished she was there to see me off.
Then someone else arrived and guess what? Well, did you know that a baby cow can have TWO mommy’s? That’s right! One of the humans introduced me to another human and said she was “Mommy Theresa!” She hugged me and told me everything would be ok. She stuck her finger in the top of my mouth for some reason – nobody had ever done that before! She said she was checking to see if I had a cleft something but I didn’t and she said that was good. The humans picked me up and airlifted me into the back of what they called a SUV. Mommy Theresa sat beside me for a bit with the back door open and told the other humans that she couldn’t wait to snuggle with me. I didn’t know what that was but it sounded like it might be fun. Mommy Theresa asked one of the humans if they’d be sure to check on my mommy every day and they said they would. I think they care about my mommy too and that made me feel better. I hoped I wouldn’t be gone too very long. They said they hoped I’d be walking in no time and that’s when they decided I should have a name. Can you believe it? My mommy told often, including this morning, to always have hope and now these humans wanted to name me Hope! So, I’m a baby cow named Hope that’s going to get help getting my legs fixed so I can walk!
Did you know that I went on my first car ride that day? It was so cool! Really! The air in the SUV thing was cool and the sun wasn’t frying me! Mommy Theresa talked the whole time. She said we were going to see the vet and explained that he’s a human that helps animals. She said he needed to do tests on me to make sure I’m healthy and that I would feel a sharp sting for a second in my neck and then it would be over and we’d go to the rescue. I had no clue what she was talking about but I was about to find out! When we got to the vet, Mommy Theresa sat next to me and said she couldn’t help it – she just had to snuggle with me. I liked snuggling! When the vet came out, Mommy Theresa had to move so someone else could hold me, but it wasn’t like a snuggle. I found out what a sharp sting was and I didn’t like it!
All Settled In
When we got to the rescue, I heard noises I hadn’t heard before and more humans greeted me. And get this – they airlifted me to a place they said was inside the barn where I had my very own suite! I didn’t know what a barn or suite was but I had my very own suite! And guess what?? After they put me down in my suite, I felt something next to me that was soft. Mommy Theresa said it was Jerry, the stuffed giraffe, and that he’d stay there to keep me company. She said someone named Freckles was there too, but that she was also stuffed, and small, and had to stay up high so the dogs and ponies wouldn’t get her. She said Freckles was wise and very special and would always prove to be a true and loyal friend. So, a stuffed Jerry giraffe, suite, barn, Freckles, horses, dogs, and ponies – this was all so new to me!
I had so many questions but I was tired and that’s when I realized I was laying on something soft and dry and there was a cool breeze and I liked it! Mommy Theresa gave me milk that I didn’t like but I drank some anyway because my tummy felt empty. I drank some water too.
I drifted off to sleep and when I woke up the humans were gone and it was quiet. I thought about my mommy and wondered how she was and if she was thinking about me too. I wanted to go home. Then I heard someone say “You’re right where you’re supposed to be for now and everything will be ok.” It wasn’t mommy Theresa’s voice and how did the voice know what I was thinking? I knew it wasn’t Jerry the Giraffe because he was beside me and he never said anything. Then Freckles introduced herself! After she spoke, Jerry the Giraffe introduced himself! The stuffed thingy’s can talk!
Freckles said stuffed toys don’t talk when humans are around. I didn’t know what a stuffed toy was so I just kept listening. She told me about a special pony named Betsy Rose who, like me, couldn’t walk when she was brought to the rescue. And since she couldn’t walk, she had to depend on humans to give her water and food, just like me! She would try to walk, but she would fall down, just like me! She said Betsy Rose was skin on bones and was so weak that she couldn’t even hold her head up when she came here. That’s so sad! Why would a human let that happen? Freckles said a vet suggested that Betsy Rose be helped to go to Rainbow Bridge because she was in such poor shape and it was unlikely she would recover. But Mommy Theresa told the vet that Betsy Rose wasn’t ready to give up and neither was she! Mommy Theresa made sure that she, or another human, was with Betsy Rose around the clock for many weeks. If Betsy Rose were to go Rainbow Bridge, she wouldn’t be alone when it was time. But Betsy Rose did get better and, after a few weeks, Freckles arrived to always stay with Betsy and be her loyal friend.
I asked Freckles what Rainbow Bridge was and she told me. All of a sudden it hit me – I think I knew why my mommy had been sad before the humans said they would take me to get help! Maybe my legs wouldn’t get better and there wasn’t anything she could do about it and when I’d get too old for the breakfast bar, I wouldn’t be able to graze or get water on my own and our owner would send me to Rainbow Bridge. I REALLY needed help and that’s why my mommy was happy when I told her the humans said they were taking me to get help! She knew what would happen to me – she’s the best mommy in the world!
Sleepy Head
I’m getting sleepy now so I am going to end my story here for now but I’m looking forward to telling more. But next time it won’t be so long, ok? This was my first time doing this and I didn’t know it would take so many words! I hope you’ll like my story and will be on the lookout for the next chapter!
Love,
Hope
When the world says, “Give up.”, Hope whispers “Try it one more time.”
Everyone at the hospital loved her!
Hope cooperated – totally. She seemed to know we are all trying to help her.
Hope seemed to pose for photos – she knows she is “all that!”
So many people came by to take photos with Hope. I’m sure she felt like a movie star!
I was so proud of this little girl.
Hope is quite the determined little calf.
A tired little girl on the way home. Hope curled up with Freckles and napped on the way back to the rescue.
Our precious little sleepy head.
