The rainbow angel

Radish has learnt to ring the bell each time he wants food or water - Image from birds.about.com

My story today is about a bird who is beautiful inside out. Meet Radish, the two year old Scarlet Chested Parakeet, who was rotting away at the back of a dingy pet shop, until his current owner found him. He grew so depressed that he began plucking out his feathers causing bald spots to appear on his chest. But he was rescued just in time by Jamie who took him with her to the hospital where she worked, where she put him on a job. Radish was designated as pet and mascot of the hospital and his job was to bring a smile on the faces of terminally ill children. Jamie says, "My supervisors had taken note of the positive affects that animals can have on the sick and elderly and had been thinking about getting a bird to live in the children's ward. When I walked in that shop and saw Radish, I knew that he was the one!" Touchingly, the children have responded, to the mild mannered parrot who hates loud noises. Seeing him everyday gives them something to look forward to. There was a five year old patient who referred to him as the "rainbow angel" and Jamie says, to her he really was one.