Saturday, October 17, 2009

Monkey Helpers

Inside his Phelps Street living room, Jim Mosso tries to reason with an uncooperative 20-year-old.

When he asks her to pick up a dropped remote, she appears to ignore him. She also stays put on the couch when he asks her to fetch water from the refrigerator. But unexpectedly, she breaks into a heart-melting smile and plants a kiss on top of Mosso's head.

The 20-year-old, named Gizzy, is a Capuchin monkey, an animal noted for its intelligence and helpful spirit. Mosso's job is to get her ready for a higher calling: helping people with disabilities handle everyday tasks.

Mosso is a volunteer foster parent with the Boston-based nonprofit Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled. For the past five years, he has been feeding and diapering Gizzy, taking her to the veterinarian, and teaching her to fetch water, make popcorn, pick up dropped items and do other helpful things around the house.

Like raising a child, the job has its rewards and frustrations, but Mosso is committed to the cause.

"When I heard about Helping Hands, I instantly knew I wanted to help train one of these guys," said Mosso as Gizzy snuggled in his lap. "I checked into it and I was amazed at what these monkeys were doing for people who are disabled."

Helping Hands' mission has been to provide assistance to people with the greatest needs: people who have become quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down) as a result of an accident, injury, or disease. The organization also sponsors events that teach others how to prevent spinal cord injuries.

Mosso said well-trained Capuchin monkeys can replace armrests that fall from wheelchairs, scratch an itch on a quadriplegic's face, re-position eyeglasses that slip out of place, and turn the pages of a book.

And for those often confined to their homes, the monkeys provide something more.

"I remember hearing a story about a gentleman who got in a car crash, and he became paralyzed and depressed," Mosso said. "Having a monkey changed his life. The monkey not only provided a service, but also companionship. When it's nighttime and you are tired, you can't imagine how good it feels to just relax on the couch and have a little monkey curl up and go to sleep in your lap."

That being said, "the work these monkeys require is not for everybody," said Mosso. "It takes a lot of time and patience. With a dog, you can go out for four or five hours, but monkeys need constant care. They eat three times a day, and have regular snacks."

Gizzy was born 20 years ago at Southwick Zoo in Mendon, which breeds the Capuchins used by the Helping Hands organization. After she was weaned, Gizzy spent time in another home until Mosso adopted her five years ago.

That training process has been challenging, Mosso notes, since monkeys can live more than 40 years but never stop acting like 2-year-olds. Even his dog Missy and cat April know to stay out of the way when Gizzy is out of her cage.

"She likes to play with them and chase them around," he said, "and sometimes they don't like to be chased."

Like training any pet, positive reinforcement is the key to training monkeys. When Gizzy decides to pick up the remote to impress a few guests, Mosso's reaction is instantaneous.

"Good girl," he says, beaming and handing Gizzy a peanut. Successfully opening the refrigerator wins Gizzy a plastic margarine tub holding a smear of peanut butter.

"Rewarding them is key," he said. "They will remember 'the last time I did this, I got a reward."'

Eventually, Mosso adds, the reward can be withheld and the monkey will still perform.

Right now Gizzy can fetch water, put a straw into the bottle, retrieve the remote, and make microwave popcorn. She even knows to wait until the package cools off before taking it out of the microwave. She also knows how to give herself a bath; Mosso fills his tub a quarter full with warm water and lets Gizzy clean herself with baby shampoo.

Like a child, Gizzy is protected from things that might hurt her. Mosso said he'd never ask her to fetch a beer, because she might be tempted to drink it. He also has her handle only plastic spoons; no sharp metal or knives.

Some day Gizzy will leave Mosso's care, undergo more training in Boston, and be a companion to someone who needs her help.

"I'm unsure how long I will have her," he says, as Gizzy picks imaginary bugs off his head - an inborn trait that even monkeys born in captivity keep. "They could come to me in two weeks and tell me she has to go to Boston. I know it will be sad, but when we sign on with Helping Hands we know that the day will come, with very short notice, when the monkey will have to move on."

In the meantime, Mosso says, "you could say she's like my daughter."

Mosso is planning a fundraiser for the Helping Hands organization tomorrow from 6 to 11 p.m., in Marlborough at the Moose Lodge, 67 Fitchburg St. The event will include food, a deejay, silent auction and a presentation on the benefits that the Helping Hands monkeys bring their adoptive owners. Tickets, available at the door, are $10 each; children under 6 are free.

Source: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x824164880/Little-help-Monkeys-train-to-assist-those-with-disabilities

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