Thank You

Thank you so much for all the kind words and sympathies. 

A lot of really good hearts were broken yesterday. 

He was loved and he will be missed. -cheryl

I was the public face of Blake's rescue because I wrote his blog and FB page, but I was only a part of his rescue. 

Kate Norfleet was Blake's real rescuer and she was absolutely inspiring in the time and love she gave to Blake. With a 90% mortality rate for orphaned whitetail fawns, Kate took every minute sign of illness he showed very seriously and she's the one who spent the sleepless nights medicating him and checking up on him.

I got to spend four amazing weeks as his primary care giver while Kate was off island. It was during that time that I started this blog and a Blake FB page so Kate would know how he was doing while she was away.

I am so lucky to have Kate as a friend and I am so lucky she entrusted me with Blake's care while she was away. I will cherish the time I spent with Blake for the rest of my life just as I will remember for the rest of my life the amazing care and love Blake got from Kate.

And when the shit really hit the fan, Dr. Jan was by Blake's side in a matter of minutes. Dr. Jan cared deeply for Blake and Blake would have never made it as long as he did without her expertise, love and generosity. 


Thank you both for trusting me to help and take part in Blake’s beautiful little life. -cheryl

***

Blake passed away this morning.

Blake passed away this morning. 

Blake had been battling an often fatal condition known as bloat for the last two weeks. 

This morning his bloat symptoms had returned and he was very lethargic. 

Then Blake attempted to jump into some bushes which resulted in his falling from more than 

eight feet. He was able to get up and walk but soon collapsed. 

Dr. Jan, Blake's vet, came immediately but Blake went into shock and did not make it. 

It is with great sadness that I share this news. 

Please know that Kate is the one who saved Blake.

I merely helped Kate. -cheryl

Blake: Then and Now Photos

Blake is recuperating nicely from his bloating and respiratory problems. 

I took today's photo when I went over to help give him his penicillin shot this morning.

I am so happy to report he is doing great.

OK, Blake is stabilized. He did not seem to bloat up too much when he ate while I was there. He got his penicillin shot and Mylocin drops. We are holding off on Pedialyte for the time being so as not to introduce too many new substances to his system at once. We are very happy with his health state right now. We are monitoring him closely because when a fawn gets fatally ill it happens extremely fast. He is good now but under close supervision. Thank you for all the supportive well wishes. I'll post an update tomorrow after we give him his Penicillin shot. -c

Blake has gotten sick. He is on Penicillin for respiratory congestion and is having stomach problems. He is getting medical attention from Dr. Jan and Kate. Today we will be putting him on Mylicon and Pedialyte for gas. Deer have a multi-chambered stomach. Problems with their stomachs when they are young are very dangerous and unfortunately common. I'll update his condition as needed. -cheryl

The Good, The Bad, and The Oh SO NOT Ugly

FIRST TWO PHOTOS ARE NOT BLAKE!

That is a wild buck that has been

hanging around across the street from my house next to 

The Tourist Trap for about a week.

He is what we all worked so hard for when we rescued Blake.

I cannot wait to see Blake grown up and wild like this guy.

I have no idea how old this buck is and I have no idea

how long before Blake starts getting his antlers or losing his spots.

If you know these things let us know, as we are all new to

such details about White tail deer. In fact, this is the closest I've ever been

to a wild deer and after hanging out with Blake it was a real treat

to see this guy up close. I was looking at all his features and comparing
them with my memory of those same features on Blake.

Here's what I surmise...

The Bad:

Looks like Blake won't keep his phenomenal eyelashes when he grows up.

The Good:

Looks like Blake may grow into his nose...