The fire started in the apartment building that we live in. It started down in the basement, one floor below us while I was at work in downtown Denver. Joey was in his padlocked cage and it was about 4:30 pm.

I got off of work and got aboard a bus for Golden, as I had an appointment to meet with a new friend. I was about near Denver West (almost to Golden), when my text pager started alerting me. I read "Get home ASAP, the apartment building is on fire." I bowed my head and prayed, "Please protect my bird" and immediately tried to figure out the best way back home. (Golden is about a 45 min. bus ride to our home).

I got off the bus in Golden, and the new friend met me (I might add that she was driving a red car and was wearing a red blouse).  I leaned into her car and told her that I had to go home because I just got word that my apartment building was on fire. She told me she would drive me.

We arrived close by and we walked up to where my neighbor was standing. I asked her if any one had heard Joey, and she said that no one had for some time. I walked up to a police officer and told him that my bird was in my apartment while pointing to the area of the building that had smoke still billowing out the windows. He told me that he couldn't allow me near the building and that my apartment was right in the "hot spot". The boiler had blown up and had taken out the apartment right next to us.

For three hours I anquished over the fate of my birdboy. I called work and left a message that I would not be at work the next day, just to keep me occupied. The woman who brought me, was close by me the whole time. At around 10 pm, a policeman came to me and asked if I was the owner of the bird. I answered that I was, and he told me to follow the fireman who would lead me to where they had placed his cage.  I asked him if Joey was alive and his reply was that he didn't know.

I walked over to the blanket-draped cage and held my breath as I removed it. There was my Joey, doing circles around the inside of the cage. HE LIVED!!! I was stunned and so were all of the fireman that were standing there. I had the lock cut and coaxed him to me. As soon as he realized it was me, he came out. As I hugged him and smelled the smoke off of his feathers, he leaned into my chest and took a huge breath...sort of like a sigh of relief.

The person that had brought me, gave us a place to stay until we could return to our apartment. I realized that the help that I prayed for had watched over him and also included me. Joey is my Miracle Bird.

I found out later, as I was allowed to pick up a bag of clothing,  that there was a TV behind the wall where Joey's cage was situated in our apartment. It had melted from the intensity of the heat and there was no floor left in that apartment. All of the doors in the building had been broken open by the fire department and there was water streaming from the ceiling. No power. Joey lived through all of that....he is my Miracle Bird.

As I watch what is going on from Hurricane Katrina, I have a sense of what the displacement feels like. I know what it feels like to have nowhere to turn except to the kindness of others. Joey and I overcame our trial because of my new friends' kindness. My prayers are with them.