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马来夫妇养600流浪猫狗‧灵犬河边救主

By Compassion
狗儿看到米伯走进范围內,都热情的趋近他。(图:星洲日报)

狗儿看到米伯走进范围內,都热情的趋近他。(图:星洲日报)

(吉打‧亚罗士打19日讯)无怨无悔照顾600只流浪猫狗,住在亚罗士打的马来夫妇米伯和哈丽查的爱心让动物也铭感於心,更上演义犬救主的感人情节。

米伯夫妇3年前目睹猫狗无人照顾,一路接收“领养",迄今,夫妇俩收养的猫狗已从数十只,增至逾400只狗和200只猫!

拉回岸上集体狂吠唤救人

米伯收养的猫狗,当中不少是患病的,太多猫狗要照顾,哈丽查曾因操劳过度,晕倒在河边。

庆幸的是,当时在场的狗只,竟齐心协力把她拉回岸上,让哈丽查免於溺水。

犬群过后更不寻常地集体狂吠,召唤米伯前来救妻。

这起义犬救主的美事让两夫妇津津乐道,也让无怨无悔为猫狗服务的两人备感安慰。

阿玆米(54岁,人称米伯)说,太太约5个月前,在为狗住所进行日常打理工作时,因太劳累头晕累倒河边。

哈丽查(64岁,人称为丹姐)回忆说,她当时想爬起来,但有心无力,所幸狗儿发现后群起救她,否则河水水位若提昇,就可能被淹死了。

米伯说,他听到狗儿狂吠,走过去看个究竟,才知道太太出事了。

他补充,自己过去15年患有哮喘病,须用气雾剂,近三四年忙於照顾猫狗,已忘了哮喘和气雾剂这回事;这或是他爱护並照顾小动物而来的福气。

这只狗走路时只能用两只前腿,后腿则是交叉並拖着走。(图:星洲日报)

这只狗走路时只能用两只前腿,后腿则是交叉並拖着走。(图:星洲日报)

流浪狗受伤被虐
都收留照顾

早在1990年,住在花园民宅的米伯和家人,看到无家可归、经常挨饿的流浪狗,心里萌起了怜悯之心,总在晚上邻人没留意时,煮东西给这些流浪狗吃。

因为怜悯之心,米伯开始接触狗只;约3年前,米伯和太太搬到区內一河岸旁,並將常餵食的逾30只狗一块带来,同行的还有约40只猫。

阿玆米和太太原本主要收养患病、生疥癣或残障的狗只,此外每次看到在外流浪、受伤、被虐或被车撞倒的狗只时,都会带回来照顾。

后来演变到公眾自行將猫狗带来让两人收留。

米伯说,他並非富有人,全职照顾狗並不是为了要出名,纯粹出於对狗的怜悯和爱心。

他强调,他的目的並非让狗儿繁殖,而是照顾受伤、残障的狗儿。

义工们忙着搬下檳州K9 Pets有限公司赞助的一些狗粮来移交给米伯。(图:星洲日报)

义工们忙着搬下檳州K9 Pets有限公司赞助的一些狗粮来移交给米伯。(图:星洲日报)

热心人纷提供狗食
不赞同猫狗安乐死

阿玆米说,他和太太清早就將狗粮分给狗做早餐,下午时分就到附近餐饮店討鸡骨,再和米煮成狗儿的食物。

他感谢免费提供鸡脚和鸡头的小贩、赞助23只狗儿结扎手术费用的人士、免费提供药品的兽医诊所医生、赞助米粮和款项的热心人士等。

米伯受SOS询问时,不赞同让猫狗安乐死,相反的希望政府理性解决问题,如將狗儿送往收留中心並结扎。

他认为,若每人都愿意收养狗只,就能轻易解决流浪狗问题。

米伯说,目前该收留地並没有水电供应,若能获资源来安装水电供应,將让中心更好运作。

“唐氏症狗"
包纸尿布

其中一只名叫Kechik(意即“小")的狗包上纸尿布,丹姐说牠是“唐氏症狗"(Down Syndrom),头斜斜,走起路来也稍微歪斜,吃喝需要他们逐口餵。

还有一只是过去曾被车撞、没获適当照料而残缺,走路时只用两只前腿,后腿交叉並拖著走,以及另一只瘫痪而行动不便的狗。

米伯说,患上疥癣和生病的猫狗、患皮肤癌的猫等,都被安置在他们住的货仓旁,和其他猫狗隔离照顾,其余则分散在两个围栏內。

左图:丹姐说,这只狗的智力些许受损。右图:岑爱玲手上抱着包上纸尿片的唐氏症狗。(图:星洲日报)

左图:丹姐说,这只狗的智力些许受损。右图:岑爱玲手上抱着包上纸尿片的唐氏症狗。(图:星洲日报)

SOS到访带来狗粮
促政府“停止杀,开始结扎"

这对夫妇和猫狗的故事,引起相关组织关注。

檳城拯救流浪狗联盟(Save Our Strays简称SOS)发言人岑爱玲和多名义工德薇、马哈斯瓦仁、凯特霖、米雪、峇拉和苏峇希妮一行人昨日探访米伯夫妇俩。

岑爱玲呼吁政府在流浪狗课题上,採取“停止杀,开始结扎"的方式。

她说,米伯是她看过收养最多狗的穆斯林,希望能借此鼓励穆斯林养狗,因为马来同胞若能养狗,流浪狗的问题就已解决一半。

她和义工们也为米伯带来了由檳州K9Pets有限公司赞助的其中四十多包狗粮。

她说,SOS会研討给予米伯其他援助,並继续和米伯密切合作。

她呼吁要为米伯提供协助和支持的人士,可联络她(012-4708308)。

星洲日报记者在场採访时,適巧来了一位华裔女子林慧毅(28岁),她说,她通过面子书发现米伯收留狗时难以置信,亲自来查看后终於相信,因此有空就会到访,看能给予米伯和丹姐甚么协助。

米伯准备把狗粮盛在盘子,一些狗已在旁“预备"要用餐。(图:星洲日报)

米伯准备把狗粮盛在盘子,一些狗已在旁“预备"要用餐。(图:星洲日报)

“穆斯林摸狗没罪"
虐狗吃狗肉才是罪恶

针对穆斯林对狗的避忌,阿玆米认为穆斯林触摸狗、养狗、照顾生病的狗並没罪;若虐待狗、吃狗肉,那才是真的罪恶。

他强调,不管在乾或湿的情况下触摸狗,重点是在祈祷之前,必须用泥水或河水来清洗,就没被禁止了。

他本身曾对太太说,假若一天自己被狗咬死,也不要把狗杀掉,因为狗儿若真如此做,一定有其原因,何况狗儿並不像人类般拥有思考能力。

“我们应该尊重生命,就算是一只狗的生命也应被尊重,不应受鄙视。"针对並非所有人能接受狗时,阿玆米认为,穆斯林最重要的是勿教导孩子怨恨狗,因为狗也是一条生命。

[source : http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/265353?tid=1]

Woman inspires by teaching with toes

By Compassion
Mary Gannon teaches with her feet (ninemsn photo)

Mary Gannon teaches with her feet (ninemsn photo)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — A Lakewood teacher is inspiring students and staff by teaching in a unique way.

Mary Gannon, a Lakewood math tutor at Harding Middle School, was born with no arms and she has a great outlook on life.

One thing Gannon doesn’t like is being called handicapped.

“It’s not a bad thing.  I’m different, but I try not to use that word because it has a negative bias.  I’m not able to do certain things,” said Gannon.

Last year Gannon was a substitute teacher at Harding, but now she tutors 6th, 7th and 8th graders full-time.

Before class you can catch Gannon using her feet to get her lesson plans together for the next period.

Some of her students say watching Ms. Gannon at work lets them know they can overcome almost any obstacle.

“She inspires me because she helps me get focused on my work, how good I can get at some math problems cause I’m not really that good at math,” said Jaden Johnson, a 6th grader at Harding.

And some of the staff at Harding Middle School agreed that Gannon is a shining example of what you can do once you apply yourself.

“I think people are gonna say, ‘if she can do it, I certainly can do it,’” said Assistant Principal Joe Tackacs.

Gannon grew up in an orphanage in Mexico and was adopted by an Ohio family at age 7.

The math tutor said she always wants to help people and teaching is a great way to do it.

“If it’s gonna inspire or help people for them to be or do better in their lives then I’m okay with that and I hope that people gain something from me,” said Gannon.

Gannon can even drive.  Her license plate says it all… “Happy Feet.”

[source : http://fox8.com/2012/09/19/woman-inspires-by-teaching-with-toes/]

Loyal dog spends six years at master’s grave

By Compassion
Loyal: Capitan has not left the side of Miguel Guzman's grave since 2006 - and sleeps on top of it every night

Loyal: Capitan has not left the side of Miguel Guzman’s grave since 2006 – and sleeps on top of it every night

A dog is known to be man’s best friend. This is indeed true in the case of a faithful and loyal dog in Villa Carlos Paz in Argentina named Captain who stayed at his master’s grave for six years and counting. The news first came out from Argentinian newspaper La Vos last September 9, 2012.

Capitan was a German Shepherd which was a gift by his master Miguel Guzman to his son Damian Guzman in 2005. Initially, Miguel’s wife Veronica Moreno refused the dog because it will just bring extra work to them. Little did they know that this dog will become a loyal and faithful friend to Miguel even after his death in 2006.

When Miguel suddenly died in 2006, the family found that the dog was missing upon returning home right after the funeral.

“We searched for him but he had vanished. We thought he must have got run over and died. Until one day, when me and my son went to the cemetery, we found him there. Damian started screaming after seeing Capitan, and the dog approached us, and barking as if it was crying,” Veronica, Miguel’s widowed wife told a local newspaper.

Hector Baccega, the cemetery’s director recalled the day when he first saw the dog. “He turned up here one day, all on his own, and started wandering all around the cemetery until he eventually found the tomb of his master. During the day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery, but always rushes back to the grave. And every day, at six o’clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave and stays there all night,” he said.

Miguel’s son Damian tried several times to bring the dog back at home but Capitan always goes back to the cemetery. “I think he’s going to be there until he dies too. He’s looking after my dad,” he said.

Currently, staffs at the cemetery feeds and cares for Capitan. Until now, the mystery still lies as to how on earth did Capitan know where the location of his master’s grave where in fact the family never brought him in that place.

This is a true test of love and loyalty. It goes to show that Capitan’s never ending faithfulness to his master Miguel cannot be broken even after death.

‘My kidney has healed itself’: Emma, 9, is given the all-clear after battling cancer twice

By Compassion
Recovered: Emily Clark, 9, (left and aged four, right) has been cancer-free for five years. She was on kidney dialysis for 18 months before her organ seemed to heal itself

Recovered: Emily Clark, 9, (left and aged four, right) has been cancer-free for five years. She was on kidney dialysis for 18 months before her organ seemed to heal itself

A little girl who developed kidney failure after twice battling cancer made a miracle recovery after her organ healed itself.

Emily Clark has now been cancer-free for five years – and the landmark date means it is unlikely to return.
The nine-year-old had a kidney removed after her first brush with cancer and then the remaining kidney failed after she had intensive treatment to battle the cancer a second time.
But doctors were startled when the organ began to heal itself.

Emily is now the picture of health and her parents Claire and Stuart, from Newcastle, are planning a big party to celebrate the end of a very traumatic time.

Claire, 34, who works as a pharmacy dispenser, said: ‘I told her “You have beaten both the cancers that were there and I don’t think they will come back”, but I still don’t think she fully understands what a big deal this is.

‘It’s just wonderful.’

Emily was first diagnosed aged just two, when experts detected a Wilms’ tumour, a rare form of cancer found inside a kidney.

It appeared she was recovering well after having the kidney removed and four months’ of chemotherapy, but a routine check-up 10 months later revealed the disease had returned.

Emily Clark (left) with her parents and younger sister Lily. Emily was first diagnosed with a tumour aged two

Emily Clark (left) with her parents and younger sister Lily. Emily was first diagnosed with a tumour aged two

Mrs Clark said: ‘She was diagnosed again on the day after I had had her sister Lily, who is now five, and when they said “it’s back” our whole world collapsed.

‘For a year we were all practically living on the ward at the RVI. And this cancer was a mixture of two types of cancer which they had never seen happen before.

‘It was a total newbie so they held lots of meetings to decide on her treatment – they had to get it right so we didn’t mind, and it means they can use this course of treatment if it happens to anyone else.

‘From a mum’s point of view it was awful and I just wished I could swap places. There were times when she was very, very poorly.

Emily Clark, 9, (right) pictured with little sister Lily has one functioning kidney

Emily Clark, 9, (right) pictured with little sister Lily has one functioning kidney

‘She had 10 months of chemotherapy and they really blasted her to make sure they killed all the bad cells, and there were some awful side effects.

‘She developed mucositis, which stripped the lining of her throat and mouth so badly she couldn’t talk, and she lost her fingernails, toenails and her hair, and that bit she found very hard – not a very confident little girl at all.

‘We had pink bandanas for her but people used to mistake her for a boy, which really used to upset her.’

To add insult to injury after the intensive treatment, Emily’s remaining kidney failed, leading to her having dialysis for 18 months.

Claire was ready to donate one of hers when doctors found Emily’s kidney was functioning again and since then she hasn’t looked back.

Two trips away without Claire or Stuart, 41, a roofer – one to Lapland and one to Scotland – have further boosted her confidence.

And from now, Emily only needs to take medication for her kidney and a nightly growth hormone injection.

She also only needs to visit the Long Term Illness Clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary once a year, but her mum has opted for six-monthly visits for now, for extra reassurance.

Claire said: ‘It is a mum thing. I am not ready yet to go once a year, so I want her to be checked over more regularly.

‘Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am the mum because she’s so much more grown-up than other nine-year-olds and so blase about the whole thing.

‘It is her 10th birthday in September and we are going to have a big party with all our friends and family who have gone through this with us.

‘She is a little miracle.’

[source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2194257/Girl-kidney-failed-cancer-treatment-given-clear-organ-heals-itself.html]

Blood donation schedule in Melaka

By Compassion, Involvement, Photography
Donate blood, give love, save life

Donate blood, give love, save life

Good day.

Just found a website which has the schedule for blood donation in Melaka. The site is created by Perkhidmatan Darah Melaka (Melaka Blood Bank) and it has the schedule for upcoming blood donation campaigns’ details of date, time and venue which is very convenient for the public to check instead of asking around or checking the papers.

http://melakabloodbank.blogspot.com/

Click on the link above and check out the closest date for blood donation campaign in Melaka. Donate blood, give love and save life.

Here are some benefits of donating blood:

  • It feels great to donate!
  • You get free Milo drink.
  • It’s something you can spare – most people have blood to spare… yet, there is still not enough to go around.
  • You will help ensure blood is on the shelf when needed – most people don’t think they’ll ever need blood, but many do.
  • You will be someone’s hero – in fact, you could help save more than one life with just one donation.

你好吗?

By Compassion, Photography
little boy I met in Indonesia

little boy I met in Indonesia

那年,我教着安亲班的一个小男生,当时的他是一年级的学生。有一张爱笑的脸,笑起来真的好可爱!每天早晨,当他踏入安亲班室,总会给我带来一股欢喜的动力。我们称他为小可吧!小可有一个非常美丽的母亲,清秀得像电影明星。她烤的牛油蛋糕特别香,入口即化。我对他们母子是有所偏爱的。

刚开始,妈妈说着就送小可来安亲班玩玩吧!后来,小可的成绩无法达到妈妈的要求,就是为什么不是90分以上或100分呢?为什么那么容易的题目,他竟然不会做呢?我微笑地听着他母亲的怨言,却无力地看着小可一脸沮丧,沉默的站在一旁让妈妈数落。妈妈认为小可不专心,懒散又爱玩,以及也许安亲班的老师没教好。于是,小可交到我的手上来,因为妈妈说只信任我的缘故。

之后,我对小可展开一对一的教学方式。我看着他努力地学,努力地写,埋头苦读,但是他认是记不住,……他读书的时候,眼睛会不断地眨,手与嘴巴会忍不住抽搐,非常细微的一个小小的抽搐……他仍是没有学得很好,听说,他开始被妈妈打了。美丽的母亲送着小可到安亲班时,小可再也没有灿烂的微笑,母亲脸上也总是一脸的不耐烦。

观察了好几个月,终于,我对小可说:“老师认为你做得很好,真的。”他望了我一眼,那一眼对我说着谢谢,却也同时不信任我对他的赞美。他低下了头,我却看见他的眼泪滴在桌前的作业上。他擦一擦眼泪,又继续努力地写。

不是他不要读,是他不能读

那夜,我上网找了一堆“阅读障碍症”的资料,约了小可妈妈面谈。她推却了几次,终于来了,却说:“我很忙啊,我只能给你5分钟。”我只好将资料交给她,我只有5分钟,因此我只用1分钟讲重点:“小可不是不要读,他是不能读,你别逼他,我不够专业,也许你需要找专业医生评估。”她只拿了资料,给我翻阅几页解释,话未说完,10分钟后,她就走了!从原定的5分钟到10分钟,她多给了我5分钟。之后,小可再也没来我们的安亲班了。小可的妈妈仍是礼貌的来电告知决定给小可请家教到家里来教,看看成绩会好一些吗?我只说谢谢你的通知。此时,我亦无言了,然而我时常忍不住在想,小可,好吗?那么可爱的一个孩子,我却不忍回想起那张读着书时抽搐的脸庞。

一年以后,我突然接到小可母亲的来电,电话那头情绪激动的说着小可确实患了阅读障碍症,因为脑部先天发育的问题。不是他不要读,是他真的不能读……我想。他的母亲终于明白了他的无助了!我松了一口气,也同时放下心头大石勒。小可,今年应是六年级生了。你好吗?

[文:郭淑梅(北海),刊登于星洲日报副刊]