Most kids are fans of something, little Gemma just happens to be the biggest fan of the SPCA (she even has SPCA ‘posters’ in her room). Soon, she got to meet her heroes and did something incredible for them.
Cape Town, South Africa (02 May, 2023) — The SPCA’s biggest little fan, Gemma Newton, may have enjoyed her dream of meeting her SPCA heroes recently, but the visit turned out to be more impactful for the team than for her alone.
The nine-year-old animal lover is such a big fan of the SPCA, she even has photos of their good work printed and stuck all over her bedroom according to her mom, who further shared that meeting the rescue teams would be “a dream come true” for the little girl.
Like most kids wishing to meet their heroes, Gemma wrote to them. Shortly and sweetly, she emailed the Cape of Good Hope squad and asked: “We allowed to come for visits?”.
After the squad chatted to her mother, the visit was underway. It would turn out to be a moving moment for everyone present, Gemma’s siblings, her mom and the team!
Through her excitement, passion, fascination and unspoilt hope, the team was reminded of something that had become faint beneath all the suffering they deal with on the daily.
“Animal rescue is heartbreaking work and sometimes our tired eyes that see nothing but animal suffering, forget to see things the way Gemma did! Her eyes were full of wonder and it was clear that she saw things in a very different, new and exciting light.
It took a visit from a child to remind us to never stop dreaming of a world in which animal cruelty ceases to exist. It took Gemma, a sweet and spirited little girl to put the stars back in our eyes and hope back in our hearts.
Thank you Gemma.
We have renewed hope because Gemma showed kindness and compassion in what we experience daily as a very unkind world for animals. We have renewed hope because we have no doubt that Gemma will carry the torch of compassion for the next generation of animal welfarists and she’ll pass it on to the generations to come. Our burden is lighter, the future of animal welfare is brighter because a child named Gemma came to see us!” —The Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
We think the SPCA’s biggest little fan moment was worth reflecting on for all of us.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the negativity around us. It’s far more resilient to search for the good that isn’t always obvious.
We can all learn a lot from the wonder of a child, and rest assured that so many heroes are already in the making. And they are, as the SPCA’s biggest little fan, grades coming together to make the world better for our sea life, and those leading the way to an eco-conscious future.
Adults, we’re so busy giving life lessons to the youngsters. Sometimes it would do us well to take a leaf (or several) from their books, even if they’re written in crayon.