Georgie’s day as a zookeeper
Georgie helped feed some of the animals during the day.
On Thursday 8 April 2010, Georgie Reeves, aged 15 from Chipping Norton, was granted her wish be a zookeeper for the day at Cotswold Wildlife Park, courtesy of Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK, the charity that grants magical wishes to young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.
Georgie is living with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and needs around-the-clock care, including oxygen and food fed through a tube into her stomach. Her only way of communicating is by blinking to indicate ‘yes’.
When Make-A-Wish visited Georgie to find out what her special wish would be, Georgie blinked to indicate this was what she wanted. Georgie loves animals, especially reptiles and spiders, and the family felt a day with the animals would be a feast for all her senses.
The day kicked off with a visit to the lemur house, along with her sister Sam, aged 13, her parents Gill and Ernie and her two carers. The lemurs loved Georgie and it wasn’t long before they were climbing on her wheelchair to say hello, which brought big smiles from Georgie.
Not for the faint-hearted, the troop then headed to the reptile house to take charge of all things creepy and slimy before Georgie’s duties required her to attend to the farmyard.
The final treat was a trip to the beach where the penguins lived where Georgie made their day by feeding them their favourite fish!
Georgie’s Mum Gill says: “It was such a fantastic day. Georgie was treated like royalty and blinked to let us know she really enjoyed herself. It was so wonderful to see her so relaxed and for us to have such lovely memories to keep. Thank you.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
