posted to the FML by: Lisa Oestereich
used with permission.

For those of you who do not know, Renee Downs was in a terrible car accident last night in North Carolina. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital but was released this morning. She is bruised and cut but is okay. Her car is totaled.

I just got off the phone with Renee (Friday afternoon). Her mother and sister are now with her and they are off to get some Totally Ferret for furkids, who do not like the vet clinic cat food.

Here's what happened with Renee's accident. She was driving in the slow lane with a vehicle in front of her. That vehicle suddenly jumped into the left hand land and Renee then saw a car (I don't know if it was totally stopped or just going very, very slow) right in front of her and she had to veer off to the right to avoid plowing into the rear of that vehicle. Her tire hit something as she veered off and her car rolled. As her car rolled, all of her windows blew out and Gandalf and his entire cage went out a window. The cage was decimated. And Gandalf died (her DMK boy). EMTs and firemen from the Big Marsh Volunteer Fire Dept, Station 2 and a tow truck (the tow truck driver is also a fire department volunteer) responded immediately. The tow truck driver worked tirelessly to find all the ferrets and little Gandalf's body -- funny thing is Renee had two frozen ferrets with her that she was bringing home to bury and he found those for her too so you can imagine how confused he was. He has all three bodies in his freezer on hold for Renee. The EMTs brought the ferrets in the ambulance with Renee to the hospital (which they are not supposed to do, but they did it anyway). The vet came TO THE HOSPITAL AT NIGHT, to pick up Renee's ferrets and bring them back to the clinic for treatment. A Robeson County Animal Cruelty Investigator (they do not have an animal control officer in Robeson County) stayed with the ferrets in the emergency room while Renee was being treated (she was going to transport them to the vet for Renee, but the vet came right to the hospital himself). And last, but certainly not least, Diane Campbell, who drove three hours to get to Renee to help and be with her in her time of need. Thats a lot of small town hospitality for a stranger that’s just passing through.

Many people have been wondering what they can do for Renee. Well, Renee doesn't need anything right now shes all taken care of. But she wanted to relay the story of so many people (total strangers) that helped her get through this terrible ordeal. Renee would be grateful if folks could send thank you notes, letters of commendation or donations to the Big Marsh Volunteer Fire Department, Station 2, the EMTs or Diane Campbella's shelter building fund. The EMS department told me they don't release the names of the EMTs but in this case he would since they do not get thank yous very often and that they would really appreciate it.

TOW TRUCK DRIVER
Richard Durden of Richard's Towing in ST. Pauls, NC tow truck driver that worked tirelessly to find Gandalf and the other two ferrets for Renee. He says that whatever he gets from her insurance company for towing her vehicle he will donate to the Big Marsh Volunteer Fire Department.

Richard's Towing
759 E Broad St
St Pauls, NC 28384
(910) 865-9220

FIREMEN
Big Marsh Volunteer Fire Department, Station 2
644 E. Great Marsh Church Road
St. Pauls, NC 28384

EMTs
Brian Batton and Natonya Pulley
EMS Phone: (910) 671-3250
EMS Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1181
Lumberton, N.C. 28359

THE VET:
Dr. Michael Deese
Bairds Animal Hospital
3169 E Elizabethtown Rd
Lumberton, NC 28358
(910) 739-4998

ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATOR:
Cards or whatever can be sent here and they will get them to her.
Katherine Floyd
Animal Cruelty Investigator
% Robeson County Health Dept.
Lumberton, N.C. 28360

Diane Campbell:
Ferret Guardian Rescue Haven, Inc.
Natural Area Fundraiser
P.O. Box 2160
Statesville, NC 28687
Website for Diane's fundraiser is http://fgrh.org/
Paypal address is nafund@fgrh.org

So drop a card of thanks in the mail to these folks, pick up the phone and give them a call or send them cookies or something nice to brighten their day. A donation to the fire department would be nice since they're all volunteer (Renee says shes donating an oxygen mask for cats to them) or send them a gift certificate for a local pizza joint (Zachary's Pizza and Restaurant, 202 East Broad Street, Saint Pauls, NC 28384, 910-865-3531 believe it or not there is NO DOMINOS in St. Pauls), or donate to Diane Campbell's new shelter fund. Take a moment to tell these people that we THANK THEM and how appreciative we all are for them taking such good care of Renee AND the ferrets.

P.S. I called Richard Durden (since he is also a fireman) and asked if the guys would actually eat cookies and the like if people sent them. He said heck ya!

Lisa