Kasey To The rescue

I want to write about an organization run by a some wonderful friends whom I am very proud to know.

In the December 5, 2010 Boston.com, there was an article about Ned Sullivan, a 27 year old man who is paralyzed with a brain injury after a 2005 car accident and the book written by his mother Ellen Rogers.

How does a family, an individual cope with a life changing disaster? Everything changed. Ellen gave up her job to provide constant care for her son who needed to adjust to his severe disability and relearn how to function. The house had to be remodeled and the medical equipment needed to keep Ned alive required constant attention.

They had to make another adjustment, they acquired another family member. A capuchin monkey named Kasey, was born in Argentina, was trained and placed by the foundation, Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers For The Disabled.

The Foundation has placed over 150 capuchin monkeys who have been trained at a cost of around $40,000 each. That amount is the estimate of breeding, raising, training and carefully matching monkey with the human partner.

It's a lot more complicated than adopting a dog. The monkey becomes a partner. In return for the assistance and bonding the monkeys give, they need to be cared for and loved.

Ellen Rogers wrote "Kasey To The Rescue: The Remarkable Story of a Monkey and a Miracle", about her family's experience with the 5-pound, 25 year old capuchin.

 “When I say it was Kasey to the rescue, I’m not kidding. She rescued us from despair. Taking care of her gave us a mission, something we could work on as a family to help us move forward,’’ said Rogers, who gave up her career as a high-tech marketing executive in order to care full time for her son. “She’s made all the difference in our world. She simply amazes us each day.’’

To learn more about The Helping Hands Foundation and see a video about them, click on this link:

Helping Hands | About Helping Hands