We were on last Sundays Front Page, with lots of pictures. The reporter is allowing us to print her article here.
Dear Jean,
Have a great weekend and thank you for letting me come to your home to write the story!!
LizElizabeth Sehon
esehon@weatherforddemocrat.com
Way back when, canaries were placed in coal mines to warn workers when toxic gas levels grew too high.
If the canary died, the coal miners took off running to save their lives.
We were on last Sundays Front Page, with lots of pictures. The reporter is allowing us to print her article here.
Dear Jean,
Have a great weekend and thank you for letting me come to your home to write the story!!
LizElizabeth Sehon
esehon@weatherforddemocrat.com
Way back when, canaries were placed in coal mines to warn workers when toxic gas levels grew too high.
If the canary died, the coal miners took off running to save their lives.
Two Weatherford residents, however, want to save lives of birds and humans.
Jean and Jim Gibson are using their feathery friends to help warn those afflicted with epilepsy of impending seizures.
The married couple own a bird sanctuary, which provides a home and rehabilitation for sick, hungry or homeless birds.
As of recently, the couple wants to set up a pet therapy research project, unique to its kind.
Instead of using canines to warn those of an approaching seizure, Jean Gibson said parrots would be even better for the job.
It’d be nice, they could say ‘Hello, how are you,’ and ‘You’re about to have a seizure,’” she said. “I have birds that will live 80 years and wouldn’t it be nice working with someone who will outlive you?”
Jean Gibson said she will be working with local clinical psychologist Dr. Melody Potter to get started on the project.
Jean and Jim Gibson said they started out helping hawks and owls when they first began rehabilitating wild and domestic birds 25 years ago.
“It’s easier to work with domestic now,” Jim Gibson said. “Wild birds are protected and there’s so many restrictions and laws that come with that.”
But the couple accepts anything with feathers, especially the infirm, the hungry and the orphaned.
Jim Gibson is a custom home builder and owner of Gibson Home Builders and Jean is a retired nurse.
Both live with five cats, three dogs, two llamas, a miniature horse, 26 goats, 10 chickens and 50 parrots.
“The llamas are named John McCain and Sarah Palin and Sarah Palin’s pregnant (the llama)” Jean Gibson said laughing.
The sanctuary just recently became a 501c3 charity.
Any donations made to the charity may be tax deductible, which helps the prevention of cruelty to animals and allows the Gibsons to help rehabilitate birds.
The couple accepts anything with feathers but especially the infirm, the hunger and the orphaned, she said.
Jean Gibson said she before the sanctuary became a 501c3, she was struggling to keep up with the high cost of caring for the birds.
“People don’t realize it but a bag of bird seed is $50,” she said.
And considering birds eat sun-up to sun-down, the prices can sky rocket.
“That’s what they do— they eat,” she said.
Jean Gibson also said she and her husband have been blessed with donations from local produce venues.
With the help of Weatherford Farmer’s Market, the Gibsons have fresh produce to feed their feathered friends.
The market donates two bushels three times a week to the sanctuary, for which the couple is incredibly grateful.
Vegetables and produce aren’t the only food the birds love to devour— nuts are another suitable snack.
The Vending Nut Co. in Fort Worth donated nuts to the birds last week.
Besides eating, the birds love to sing to fresh or familiar face willing to listen.
“If I hear ‘I’ve Been Working On the Railroad’ one more time, I’ll scream,” Jean Gibson said.
For more information or to donate, call 817-269-0038, or visit www.Bird Tails.com.
