Meet MJ (Miracle Joey)

My beautiful MJ needed a miracle. Not all rescues have happy endings. MJ mended my heart, then shattered it into a million pieces when she lost her fight to live.

I walked into the home of a fellow wildlife carer and there, paralyzed in a basket, wrapped up warmly and safely, lay this beautiful joey struggling to survive. I bent over this precious baby and told her she could do this, she could fight. Her eyes met mine, and in that instant, we connected and formed a bond that would last her lifetime. I asked her carer if I could be her new Mummy. The carer saw the bond we had formed and, with tears in her eyes, handed me the precious bundle.

MJ had been brought in by a farmer who found her lying lifeless on the ground, her Mummy frantically trying to get her to her feet. He watched her all day and, when night fell, brought her inside to keep her safe from foxes and warm through the cold night. The next morning, he took her to the vet, and soon after, I was on my way home with her as her new Mummy. I named her MJ—Miracle Joey—because she needed a miracle. We hoped it was just minor bruising and that she’d soon be up and running, ready to reunite with her Mummy, who hung around for days looking for her baby.

But it was not to be. On the second day in our care, MJ went into respiratory distress, prompting an emergency dash to my vet, Shey, from Nullakai Veterinary Service, who came in even though it was ANZAC Day. We noticed that lying on her back caused breathing issues. Shey took X-rays and found bruised ligaments in her back. Since MJ wasn’t in pain, she was given anti-inflammatory medication and a chance to get better.

Completely paralyzed, unable to even lift her head off the ground, I set up a portacot in the living area and laid her on her side so she could breathe comfortably. She adjusted to the bottle easily, and the long road to recovery began. Oh, did that little girl teach me a lot about myself. She was tenacious, with an incredible will to live. She fell, got up, fell again, and got up again. Every milestone was met with bright eyes and a smile. The day she lifted her head outside was my happiest day.

I taught her to stand, to walk, and finally, to hoon like a real joey. To aid her recovery, there were twice-weekly visits to my chiropractor (under cover of darkness) where he worked on her spine. MJ took every treatment submissively. On her last visit, she looked into the chiropractor’s eyes for the first time and licked his hand, as if to say thank you for helping me.

Then came the day when MJ needed a larger recovery area to strengthen her legs. My heart broke when we took her to an amazing and wonderful carer who offered to take MJ for release. MJ now had a new joey friend named Polly, with space to run and become a roo again. I visited her every Sunday, loved my time in the pen giving her cuddles and her bottle. But after a couple of weeks, we noticed MJ was regressing. Her hands were clenching again, and she was unsteady on her feet. Despite her new Mummy massaging her daily, her injuries were irreversible. I had just listened to an expert at the Sydney Wildlife Conference talk about spinal injuries in roos and how it’s almost impossible to get them back to release. I felt so blessed that we had won with MJ when I got the call that she had passed away peacefully in the arms of her new Mummy. I was heartbroken, devastated. We had fought so hard for her and with her.

I believe God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to be a full-time wildlife carer. MJ taught me about persistence, never giving up, persevering through the odds, and the importance of having a supportive network of carers who help each other for the sake of our wildlife, leaving personalities at the door to help out. Without this amazing network, MJ didn’t have a hope. She taught me to get up when I fell, to get up again and again. MJ, I still love you so much. I still find it hard to talk about you without tearing up. You were such a wonderful, special little girl.

MJ was the inspiration behind Amaris, and God has blessed my work here abundantly. With currently eight joeys on soft release, some now with babies in their pouches, and six joeys in care, it is a busy life.