SMITHFIELD, Va. (WAVY) — Boo is an umbrella cockatoo, rescued after a Virginia Beach police raid roughly 25 years ago. He is now on an incredible journey to become a therapy animal after undergoing cataract surgery.
While enduring chemotherapy, Amy Hurst was open to the idea of a therapy pet, but wasn’t looking for one. Originally, she and her husband, while they had a lot of exotic birds, were not looking to adopt a large, exotic bird, as it was a lifestyle change in comparison to the smaller birds.
But then, Nedra Marshall, a Peninsula Cage Bird Society board member who cared for Boo for many years, introduced him to Hurst.
“We just looked at each other and I jokingly said, ‘Oh my gosh, I want him,” Hurst said. “Bad move. [Marshall] said, ‘He’s yours.'”
“And [Hurst] went, ‘You’re serious.’ And I went, ‘Yeah I’m serious.'” Marshall said. “We all decided he would make a wonderful therapy bird.”
Boo came home with Hurst and her husband, becoming a fast family member.
“[Boo] loved the dogs, so he would listen to their toe nails on the floor and waddle around and find out where they were, but then he would walk into the wall because he couldn’t see the walls,” Hurst said.
Having endured abuse and health problems for some time, Boo lost sight about a decade ago.
They looked into surgical intervention. Hurst had many talks with doctors at the Poquoson Veterinary Hospital. They later connected her with the N.C. State veterinary hospital. The cataract surgery was $3,000 and potentially life-threatening.
“It was not a decision that we took lightly,” Hurst said.
For Hurst, it was worth the shot at a better quality of life for Boo. After a trip to Raleigh in March, the surgery was a success. Boo is seeing the world once again. He saw Nedra for the first time since going blind — a moment they were sure to catch on video.
Throughout the journey, Boo helped Hurst through chemotherapy with emotional therapy.
“When I realized how important the touch was, and emotional support, that’s when I decided to go back to school in the throws of it.”
After regaining sight, Boo passed evaluation to become an official therapy bird. Hurst also got her certification, now working with Boo to help children with autism.
“Together, I guess, as a therapy team, we can relate to a lot of life’s upsets that are thrown in front of you, and upsets, and tragedies and resilience,” Hurst said. “Not only help people get through those things, but relate to them on a different level because both of us have gone through it.”
On the road to healing, Boo’s muscles are making a comeback.
“Now he can flap his wings, he took a four-foot flight for the first time last week,” Hurst said. “The first time in 40 years, imagine that.”
Boo is roughly 40-years-old and is expected to live to be around 80.
Boo happened to take his second flight while the 10 On Your Side cameras were rolling. You can watch it in the video attached to this article.
“He is loving life,” Marshall said. “He’s living his best life.”