Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep thanks to Doc

My MOTHER Daisy was always a calm and assured lady. It wasn’t until late in her life that I saw her really distressed. her beloved budgerigar Jim, himself elderly, had stopped flying around the living room and was nestled at the bottom of his cage, his head drooped. he seemed to be deteriorating rapidly, and mother was getting so anxious we felt we had to call out the doctor to see her. It was easier getting home visits back then. our family doctor was Dr eames, a very bright Cambridge man with a bedside manner to match. he quickly gave my mother reassurance and some calming pills. Before leaving, he went over to Jim the budgie and got something out of his bag for him, too. Whatever it was, it was not long before Jim started chirruping again and returned to his perch as normal. Jim survived a few more weeks by which time my mother was a lot stronger. Good old Dr eames had bought them both precious time. I still wonder what Jim was given and whether some of that might work for me now! It’s yet another reason for me to be grateful to the NHS.

Bob Hunt, Bengeo, Herts.