The eye likely cannot be saved. 
Patient 26-318, now known as Elenor, was found by Raymond after he noticed something was terribly wrong and made the decision to stop and help.
When Elenor arrived at Acorn Acres, she was suffering from a severe injury to her right eye. The eye was protruding from the socket, badly damaged, and no longer functional. She was also mildly dehydrated and in obvious need of medical attention.
What happened to Elenor is something we’ll likely never know.
Wild animals don’t come with a medical history. We don’t know whether this injury was caused by a predator encounter, a vehicle strike, an infection, trauma from the environment, or something else entirely. By the time many wildlife patients reach us, all we can see is the outcome.
Since arriving, Elenor has received fluids, parasite treatment, and pain management while we work with our veterinary team to determine the best course of action. Unfortunately, the damage to the eye is likely too extensive to repair and will have to be removed.
While that may sound heartbreaking, there is good news.
Wildlife can be incredibly resilient, and Virginia opossums adapt remarkably well to the loss of one eye. If her remaining eye is healthy and she recovers well from surgery, Elenor can still navigate her environment, find food, avoid predators, and live a normal wild life.
It’s easy to look at these photos and see what Elenor has lost but we see something else.
We see an animal that is still alert. Still eating. Still curious. Still fighting.
And we see a finder who cared enough to stop, make a phone call, and give her a chance. Sometimes that’s all it takes to change the outcome of a life.
Thank you, Raymond, for making that choice. 
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