Picasso the Gopher Tortoise

The Annual Fall Service Kick-Off event is a time when AmeriCorps programs across the state have the opportunity to come together for a day of service and share in the AmeriCorps spirit. As the AmeriCorps GSTC team prepared to head to Atlanta, there was plenty of anticipation and excitement. There wasn’t however, the expectation of bringing a patient back with them. That is, until the phone rang….

A veterinarian in Albany called the center with a gopher tortoise that had been brought to him in pretty poor condition. He consulted with Dr. Norton and it was decided that the tortoise needed medical care that only the GSTC could provide. The question then became how we get the tortoise from Albany to Jekyll Island.

In a shining example of true AmeriCorps spirit, the Albany Police Cadets, led by Denise Barnes, rose to the challenge and came to the tortoises’ aide. With some guidance from center staff, Denise and her team met with the veterinarian Friday night and transported the tortoise to the Fall Service Kick-Off event Saturday where she met with the AmeriCorps GSTC team.

After an initial triage in a storage closet of the service site the tortoise was tucked in for the day before the long drive back to Jekyll. During the day of service, the AmeriCorps GSTC team was part of the painting crew that was helping to paint murals. The GSTC team was inspired by their service and decided to name the tortoise Picasso.

After a long drive back and spending the night at staff member Jeannie Miller’s house due his critical condition, Picasso finally arrived at the center Sunday morning. Once Picasso got to the center, he received a complete medical evaluation, including x-rays, fluids, antibiotics and tube feeding. Picasso is very severely impacted, emaciated, and likely has multiple infections. Although, his condition is still very critical, the staff and members of the GSTC are fighting to give him every chance possible at recovery.

This one small tortoise and his extra large journey is just one example of the extraordinary impact that AmeriCorps members throughout the nation make on a daily basis.

~ Jeannie Miller AmeriCorps program Coordinator