Captain Jack Sparrow and FFR Volunteer Christy Drewry
By Shirley Brown
CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW.
How did Captain Jack Sparrow happen to make his appearance into a volunteer's life? In 2005, Christy Drewry's neighbors invited Christy to come over and see the 5 kittens they had in a box in their garage. Christy (adoption volunteer, feral cat trapper, and foster parent with Folsom Feline Rescue) persuaded the neighbor to relinquish the kittens to her. FFR President John Bennett did an intake on the kittens for FFR, and then Christy and her daughter Nikki fostered them in their home.
Since both Christy and Nikki were great fans of the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they named the 5 kittens after Pirates of the Caribbean characters. The 3 males and 2 females were named Captain Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, William, Elizabeth, and Anamaria, respectively.
From the start, Captain Jack Sparrow, a sweet black and white tuxedo kitten, was the runt of the litter and the most mellow. He played some with his littermates, but he wasn't overly active. He was a "snuggle" cat. He singled out Nikki to be "his human." He loved to curl up under Nikki's chin and purr.
Nikki, of course, was quite taken with the lovable Jack and she adopted him. The other 4 kittens of the Pirates litter were adopted out. When Nikki went away to digital art school in Emeryville, she discovered she couldn't have a pet in her apartment. Jack stayed in Orangevale and Christy became his principal caretaker.
In the fall of 2006, things changed. Christy noticed Jack's gums were inflamed with gingivitis and he had very bad breath. After thorough examination at the veterinarian's, the vet determined that Jack's kidneys had never fully developed and he would have continuing health problems. Christy considered a kidney transplant for Jack, but then the vet told her that, in addition to underdeveloped kidneys, Jack had a heart murmur. The kidney transplant was ruled out because of his heart murmur. The vet estimated that Jack wouldn't live past a few years. Christy vowed to give him the best care in the last years of his life.
Because of Jack's health issues, he is somewhat high maintenance. He is on medication for his kidneys and for his heart. Christy has to use a special mouth rinse on him because of his gingivitis and his teeth. He eats a special diet that Christy feeds him, one piece of kibble at a time. That's the only way he can eat because of the sensitivity of his mouth and teeth. If he gets dehydrated, Christy administers fluids under the skin.
And then in December, there was another big change. Christy learned that she, too, faced health challenges. The doctors told her she had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The doctors ordered chemotherapy which caused her to become extremely fatigued and sometimes nauseated. She was forced to drop a lot of her responsibilities and to drop down to part-time student status at college. Instead of taking a full 15 units of college credit, she now takes 6 units. Instead of tutoring 6 writers at college, she now tutors 2. She quit Toastmasters. She stopped working the adoptions.
Christy has found that this time of retreat and of scaling back is essential to her recovery. She remarked to me, "Normally, we make ourselves busy and so crazy." Christy related to me, "Jack has adopted me and we are taking care of each other." She comforts him and he comforts her. Jack is providing unconditional love. They are a tonic to each other.
Christy finished her chemotherapy in April and her doctors have assured her that the lymphoma is gone from her body. However, she will undergo a month of radiation in June as an added precaution. As she handles this next challenge of radiation treatment, she has Captain Jack Sparrow to help her.
As I talk to Christy about her condition and about the bond that she and Jack have, I'm reminded of a quote from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Captain Jack Sparrow says to Weatherby Swann, "I think we've all arrived at a very special place ... spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically." 
About the Author
Shirley Brown has been a volunteer with Folsom Feline Rescue since the year 2000. She helps with fundraisers and support activities. Currently, she handles the adoption scheduling. Shirley also volunteers with another local rescue group, helping them with humane trapping of ferals and transportation to and from the Vet. Shirley lives in Roseville with two tabbies, Ted and Zoe, who were adopted from FFR.