Retired firefighter performs C-section on dead possum, saves 6 babies

DOUGLASS, Mass. (WJAR) — A Massachusetts man who is a retired firefighter recently went above and beyond to save newborn possums.

John Gregson 61, of Douglas, said he was a firefighter in North Providence for nearly 30 years.

Having retired in 2011, Gregson was always known at the department for his love of animals.

I spent my career in service to others. It's what I like to do," said Gregson. “I had two nicknames on the job. I was called St. Francis and Doctor Dolittle. I pulled more animals from fires than I did people."

Gregson said animals were always important to his family.

Growing up, he was always around them, which carried into his adult life.

His dad was also a firefighter.

I was bringing animals home since I was 5 years old, and my family will do anything for an animal," said Gregson.

That still proves true to him.

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About a week and a half ago, Gregson said he had been driving to his dentist appointment when something caught his eye in the middle of the road.

It was an animal that had been run over.

It’s not something you really look at. You see it and pay no attention to it, and this particular case I had no choice," he said. "I was going slow and would've gone around it. It looked fairly new, within that morning anyway."

Gregson realized it was a dead possum.

After taking another look, he said its stomach was moving.

The adult possum was deceased and that was obvious. I know that possums are marsupials and have pouches, but from the injuries, you couldn't decipher where a pouch even was," he said.

Gregson pulled over and ran to the mess in the roadway.

He realized there were babies inside of the mother possum.

“I get out of the car. I didn’t think twice. I just started moving tissue around and reaching innards to get them out," he said. “No gloves, no scalpel, no nothing. I was just tearing tissue with my hands. My big thing was another car coming, and getting them out as quickly as I could. It only took about three or four minutes, I got them all out, into my car."

Gregson said he laid a trashbag out in his truck and put the baby possums on it.

“There were eight total, six I could help, so I brought six home," he said.

Once at home, Gregson cleaned them and made sure they were warm.

Then, he posted on social media, asking his community who could help the baby possums.

“It’s amazing how many rehabbers were talking with each other, trying to figure out who was going to take these little guys," said Gregson. "That's how I got in touch with Ashley and she gave me instructions over the phone on what to do until I could bring them to her."

About an hour away in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Ashley Makradakis works as a state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator. She's been taking in animals to care for, for about seven years.

“I am primarily a small mammal rehabilitator but I also do raccoons, I do mice, I do really everything," she said.

Makradakis said unfortunately in her line of work, she's seen many possums that've been hit and killed.

“It happens all the time. People do not slow down for these animals," she said. “These are not animals that are fast moving that just dart out into the road in front of somebody. These are big, hefty, grounded animals with babies in their belly babies on their back."

Makradakis took the possums from Gregson and has been caring for them ever since.

“He brought them to me nice and warm and cozy. They were sadly very healthy. Mom was very freshly hit. One out of the six babies got her tail partially lacerated so unfortunately she did lose part of her tail but she is nubbing up nicely," said Makradakis.

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According to Makradakis, there are a lot of misconceptions around possums and there's a lot of people who don't know about them.

For example, they eat about 500 ticks per day and make for great pest control. They are America's only marsupial and live off of dead, decaying things. They are essentially harmless and an attack is rare.

Many people believe if they touch one, they could get rabies and that is uncommon.

"They make a pathetic hissing noise in defense or play dead," said Makradakis. “They’re like nature's clean up crew.

“They’re the most dopey, sweet, loving creatures," she added.

“We try to spread tons of awareness that if you see a dead possum, always check the pouch. Keep some latex gloves in your car, flip it over, because nine times out of 10 there are live babies in there," she said. “Opposums are virtually disease-free. They have a naturally very low body temperature that makes them an incompatible host for rabies. They basically can’t carry it because of their low body temperatures so that would not be a concern whatsoever."

They can, however, carry other diseases.

Fortunately for Gregson, he was fine.

“I would rather people worry that they’re doing something wrong than not do anything at all," he said. “To the people who say, 'Well let nature take its course' Well, we are nature. We are part of nature. We are taking its course. The same way dolphins and whales reach out to people when one in their pod needs help, we all do this together. I saw life in perreault and I just didn’t think twice about it I just did my thing."

Makradakis said the possums will remain in her care most likely until they can be released into the wild in the spring.

“The world needs more people like John. We are trying so hard to save as many of these amazing animals as possible. There is no better feeling to me, than knowing something little and helpless animal is still here because of you. It’s a very great feeling," she said.

“Life is precious. We only get one. So you need to appreciate life. Their life is no less or more important than mine," said Gregson.

“I don’t think I did anything exceptional. I think I’ve just been who I am, and done what John does," Ashley said.