Local 9-year-old and her calf bring cheer to area seniors
Published 12:18 am Tuesday, November 28, 2023
- Korra Thomas, left, and mother Leeanna Thomas pose with Copper the calf. (Courtesy photo)
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A local fourth grader and her calf, named Copper, brought smiles and joy to local nursing home residents this weekend.
Korra Mcmains Thomas, 9, brought the then 2-day-old Copper in a wagon, and wheeled the animal into two nursing homes in Port Arthur and one in Groves.
Korra said it was exciting to bring the calf for the visit, because it made her and the residents happy.
Korra Thomas, left, poses with a staff member at Cascades at Senior Rehab in Port Arthur over the weekend. (Courtesy photo)
Mom Leeanna Thomas said Korra not only sat with the residents but also helped them pet the calf. Korra didn’t want to skip a room as she made her way down the halls, Leeanna Thomas said.
“A few residents reminisced back to their own days of riding horses and raising animals with their families,” the mother said in a social media post.
Her daughter, she added, is always looking for ways to spread love and show people the cows.
“She’s fun, loving and kind-hearted,” Leeanna Thomas said.
Korra and Copper and mom visited Cascades at Port Arthur on Ninth Avenue and Cascades at Senior Rehab on FM 365, both in Port Arthur, and Oak Grove Nursing Home in Groves.
Korra, who is a student at Helena Park Elementary in Nederland, wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
A resident at Oak Grove Nursing Home reacts to seeing Copper. (Courtesy photo)
“Korra’s grown up doing this her whole life,” Leeanna Thomas said. “This girl loves any kind of animal.”
The family lives in Nederland and has cattle in other areas. The mom was busy Monday afternoon with a cow that gave birth to a healthy calf, she said.
Korra’s love goes to all animals, and in April she recycled old shirts into dog toys and donated them to the Humane Society of Southeast Texas.
The Humane Society gave Korra thanks in a social media post saying, “What a wonderful gift of compassion this young lady has for animals. Thank you, Korra, for all your hard work and we can’t wait for you to start volunteering with us.”
Leeanna Thomas isn’t new to working with animals or to social media. She’s known as Leeanna Gabbrielle — “l.thomas2020” — on TikTok and has 3 million followers. Her videos show her taking care of the cattle “and people just fell in love with them,” she said.
It seems only natural that Korra would follow her mom with her love of animals.
Korra Thomas, kneeling, shows her calf, Copper, to residents and staff at Oak Grove Nursing Home in Groves over the weekend. (Courtesy photo)
