Mike, also known as Aqua Mike on Instagram, was informed about a tiny newborn turtle that needed special care.
“There is no shell covering where her heart is.”
Mike couldn’t believe his eyes. He was determined to bring her home and do everything in his power to provide her with the life she deserved.
He adorably named her Hope and made her a tank where she could swim, rest, and eat!
When Mike first brought Hope home, she was no bigger than a coin. People were telling Mike that he was just wasting his time and resources and that it was not worth fighting so hard for a turtle.
But Mike couldn’t care less for what people were saying. He knew deep down that with his love and dedication, Hope would grow up to be a happy turtle. As he shared:
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy but I was committed to keeping her alive.”
Mike was monitoring her weight every day, making sure little Hope was growing. In the beginning, he had to feed her with the help of tweezers, since she couldn’t see very well.
He would place her food right in front of her tiny face, and she would snatch it right away.
As she was growing, Hope got super attached to Mike. Every time he would come home, she would start flapping her little arms in excitement.
However, there was no way to cover up her tiny exposed heart and Mike was constantly worrying about potential bacteria coming inside.
Every morning he would rush out to her tank, afraid she might be gone. But there Hope was, flapping her tiny arms every time she saw Mike’s face.
Mike used to document their journey over on social media, and Hope inspired many people to keep fighting whenever life got hard.
Unfortunately, once Hope turned 5 years old, Mike had to rush her to the vet. Overnight her condition got worse, and she sadly lost the fight.
Mike was grateful he got the chance to spend 5 amazing years together with Hope and inspire as many people as possible.
Credit: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDodo
