Zoo Membership Extended In Memory Of A Beloved Mother

A local West Michigan resident is praising the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids in an act of kindness shown to her after the passing of her mother.

The woman who made the Facebook post shared how her mother had purchased a family membership to John Ball Zoo for herself, her daughter, and her grandchildren. Sadly, not long after purchasing it, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

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Her daughter explained how chaotic everything became:

Everything changed so quickly. Between appointments, treatments, and spending every moment we could with her, we never got the chance to even pick up our membership cards, let alone visit the zoo together. After my mom passed away, I reached out to John Ball Zoo to explain our situation and ask if there was any possibility of using the membership she had purchased. I fully understood if the answer was no.

That was until Mary Kuchta, the Membership Coordinator, reached out to her:

I am so very sorry for your loss. I am more than happy to make an exception to extend your membership for another year in honor of your mother. I can get the membership updated with your contact information and send new membership cards out in the mail. I can also have the membership cards available to pick up from the zoo if you prefer. I'll just need your address and the name of the secondary adult you'd like on the membership. Please let us know if there is anything else I can help you with. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day!

This obviously took her by surprise, and she shared her deep appreciation for the zoo's understanding and flexibility:

This membership was never just about zoo visits. It was about time together. It was about my mom creating memories with her grandchildren. While she won’t be physically walking beside us through the zoo this summer, I know she’ll be there in the little moments… and the memories we’ll make will be because of her love. Thank you, John Ball Zoo, for showing such compassion and generosity. Your kindness means more to our family than you’ll ever know.