[nutCase]

It was about four years ago that Jordie passed away on New Year's eve. He was our family's Double Yellow Headed Amazon. He had been purchased as a companion for my great grandmother, and was probably a young import. We estimated his age at 45 at the time of his passing.
Jordie was a character, and knew many words and phrases. Because my great grandmother originally taught him to talk, some of his words were spoken with a Scottish accent! He loved to sing, although he wasn't exactlty on pitch!
He started acting poorly and my mother took him to the vet. This was a regular vet, not a bird specialist. He said that Jordie needed to be tube fed because he was too thin. This resulted in Jordie having a stroke. I last saw him a couple of days after Christmas, and New Year's day, my mother called to tell me he has passed away.
Every New Year's Eve, when I am asked what I am going to do, I say that a family member passed away and I don't celebrate. I think of Jordie often, but especially today.
Please, if your bird needs care, do your best to find an avian vet, or at least someone with more compassion than this man had. Maybe Jordie was going to leave us anyway, but believe he could have been spared living his last few weeks with a stroke.
I like to think he is singing along with my grandmother and great grandmother in heaven.