Bringing Up Ziggy: What Raising a Helping Hands Monkey Taught Me About Love, Commitment, and Sacrifice
The tragedy of becoming a quadriplegic can happen in a split second and will forever alter a life. While
I am not injured, my family was involved in a unique program called Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled. We raised Ziggy, the little capuchin seen in the photo below, to be the love of someone else. Monkey helpers are trained to act as companions and life mates to individuals who live in a wheelchair and cannot move their arms or legs. The monkeys do simple tasks for their owner/companions, but it is more, much more than that.
I became foster mother to "Ziggy,"who was born on Discovery Island in Walt Disney World in 1989. Yes, we spent thirteen years together (a capuchin's life-span is between 40-45 years). I have learned many things under this unique form of on-the-job training, and feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity because it's been a study of primate behavior right in my own living room!
Now you can read about this unconventional pairing and some of what I've discovered about both monkeys and people. Through the course of the book, Bringing Up Ziggy
-- you will come to understand what makes primates really special.
ISBN 1-58063-085-5
Hardcover $18.95
- (I have copies for sale and keep an eye out for a new version!)
Testimonials for Bringing Up Ziggy:
A warm look at a human/monkey relationship
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to spend time with a monkey as part of your family--or even if the thought has never occurred to you--you may find, as I did, that you learned a lot from this book about what makes capuchins tick, how similar to little kids they can be, and how easy it is to form a strong bond across the species line. Campbell, with her clear and direct writing, has done a fine job of letting us know what's involved in raising a monkey that's destined to be a helper to the handicapped. She includes lot of specific details that are, in a strange way, rather poignant.
Susan K. Perry, Ph.D., author of Writing in Flow
"This is a wonderful book, full of adventure, delight and tremendous scientific interest. Anyone who likes a good story will want to read it." Douglas Preston, author of Jennie
"[Bringing Up Ziggy] is a thoroughly engrossing and entertaining read that is often hilarious and very touching." Steve Mross, The Sentinel-Record
"In recounting Ziggy's story—an amusing, endearing and sometimes heartbreaking tale—Campbell shares what she has learned about animal and human behavior in the process."
The Jonesboro Sun
Bringing Up Ziggy by Andrea Campbell ($21.95, Renaissance Books) who became a foster parent to a five-week-old capuchin monkey named Ziggy when an organization called Helping Hands asked her to raise him. Much as guide dogs become the eyes for the blind, the monkeys trained by the Helping Hands folks, become the working arms and legs for quadriplegics. Known for their intelligence, manual dexterity, and friendly disposition, they are ideal for these tasks. What Campbell didn't know was how much Ziggy would change her. This is a quite wonderful story. You can learn more about it by visiting www.andreacampbell.com.
Alan Caruba
"Although Campbell's book may be of more interest to monkey lovers and owners, it is definitely of interest to the curious."
Jesse Pool, Memphis Flyer
* * *
ZIGGY LEAVES FOR BOSTON
For Details, Contact:
Andrea Campbell
Author-Writer-Columnist
andreacampbell@hughes.net
AFTER ALMOST 13 YEARS, ZIGGY WILL BE LEAVING FOSTER MOM ANDREA CAMPBELL FOR HELPING HANDS HEADQUARTERS TO BE TRAINED FOR SERVICE AS A HELPER/COMPANION TO A QUADRIPLEGIC.
HELPING HANDS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AR February, 2002 : Ziggy Campbell, a Helping Hands capuchin monkey, will be leaving home for further education as a helper/companion to a quadriplegic. The Helping Hands facility in Boston, MA, will be the site for her training and transition. She is scheduled to leave the last week in February 2002.
§ Ziggy is a capuchin monkey who was born on Discovery Island in Walt Disney World, FL.
§ A capuchin's life span is approximately 40-45 years.
Her departure will be painful for foster mom, Andrea Campbell. "Yes, we always knew what the end result would be and we have always believed that Ziggy will be the best gift ever. I have raised her as a child though, and it will leave a gaping hole in my heart to see her finally leave us. My children grew up with the Zigster, we got her at the tender age of five weeks."
1. Ziggy is the subject of the book BRINGING UP ZIGGY: What Raising A Helping Hands Monkey Taught Me About Love, Commitment, and Sacrifice, written by author Andrea Campbell.
2. Monkeys are intelligent, agile, and love to manipulate objects.
3. Thought to be the smartest of all monkey species, capuchins form a bond with humans.
4. Ziggy has been the subject of countless newspaper articles, radio and television shows and was featured on TO TELL THE TRUTH.
For more information and photos of Ziggy, you can visit Andrea Campbell's web site. The URL is: www.andreacampbell.com Just click on either the book link "Bringing Up Ziggy," or visit Ziggy's own web page.
For an interview, quotes or hardcopy information, use the contact information listed above.
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