Georgia tween with spina bifida meets adopted sea turtle with matching disability: ‘Felt a connection'

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - A girl in Georgia is proving that animals are just like people.

Kendall Barfield, 12, recently met her adopted juvenile green sea turtle named Bandit, who currently resides at Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

The turtle has been in rehabilitation at the center since it was involved in a boat crash in 2021, which injured its backbone and left its rear fins paralyzed.

Barfield and Bandit, it turns out, have a similar story — as a spina bifida diagnosis at birth left the tween paralyzed from the ankles down.

Fox News Digital spoke with Kendall Barfield and her mom, Danielle Barfield, of Columbus, Georgia, about the moment they met Bandit, a female turtle.

Danielle Barfield first heard Bandit’s story when she and her husband visited Jekyll Island – a barrier island off the coast of Georgia – on a business trip.

"I was just really touched by [the turtle's] story," she said. "I felt a connection."

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"It was very close to Christmas [of 2022]. And so I was like, ‘Kendall loves animals. She loves aquariums and sea animals. She would love an adoption, so to speak, of Bandit.’ And so we got Bandit for her for Christmas."  

But Kendall Barfield and Bandit were only pals from afar until the Barfields took the four-hour road trip to Jekyll Island on Jan. 5, 2024.

The seventh grader said she was "really surprised" by how large the sea turtle was in person, even though Bandit is most likely only in her teens.

"I just thought it was really cool being up close to a turtle because I’ve always loved marine life," she said. "And I've always felt close to the ocean. I love swimming and I love going to the beach."

Kendall Barfield said it was also "pretty cool" to have something in common with the turtle.

"I use crutches, and for long distances, I usually use a wheelchair," she said. "I can’t feel from … the heels down."

The tween said she wants other kids to know that even though people with spina bifida might look "different on the outside, they’re the same on the inside."

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Mom Danielle Barfield, who knows what it’s like to care for a child with a disability, said the turtle's story resonated heavily with her.

"It's just awesome what God has done through Kendall," she said, referencing her daughter. "Her smile lights up a room, people see what she has [gone] through, and then it gives them hope for what they can do." 

This was also part of the connection she felt with Bandit, she said, because they "could have easily just put Bandit to sleep." 

"They could have not fought for her to have a life," she said. "Doctors do that all the time to moms with this kind of diagnosis."

She added, "They’re told, ‘You have options,’ and that was something that we knew we didn't have an option for. What if I would have listened to that? Then there wouldn't be a Kendall." 

The mom explained that her daughter has a mild case of the "most severe" type of spina bifida, which leaves her without motion from her ankles down, but in some cases it can cause paralysis higher up on the body.

"We're very fortunate," she said, "that she is able to walk and move around more freely."

Kendall Barfield added, "My childhood dream was to wiggle my toes. I can't wiggle my toes."

Her mom mentioned that sometimes she and her daughter have "We hate spina bifida days." 

But there are still a "lot of days that we're thankful for the path God has put us on."

In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Kathryn Hearn, Jekyll Island Authority marketing communications manager, echoed that the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has gone above and beyond for "charismatic" Bandit.

"At the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the mission, and really the greatest passion, is to give every patient the best care and the best chance for a successful release and quality of life," she said.

Although Bandit will need to find a permanent placement due to her injuries, Bandit is still "thriving," Hearn reported.

"We’re dedicated to just keeping her healthy," she said. "We want to make sure she's still doing good, keeping on a healthy path, keeping on a healthy diet."

Hearn added that Bandit’s injury "does not slow her down one bit." 

"She loves to splash," she said. "[She] loves to see all the people that visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and it's really a testament to her resilience that she literally keeps swimming."

Hearn reflected on the "really special" meeting of Kendall Barfield and Bandit, saying the center is "so appreciative for our adoptive parents [who] symbolically adopt these animals."

She noted, "We're creating an environment that is providing education for people and letting them know that things like boat strikes do happen … when sea turtles come up to take a breath."

Jekyll Island continues to be a destination for various types of wildlife, as the authority’s conservation and land management team works to protect residents such as alligators and bald eagles.

"Our teams are consistently researching and tracking and making sure the balance between humans and nature is kept stable," Hearn said.

Kendall Barfield and her mom said they’re eager to revisit Jekyll Island and Bandit over the summer.

"It’s a really neat place," Danielle Barfield said. "It was a great experience."

In the future, Kendall Barfield said she is interested in potentially pursuing a career in animal care.

"I’ve always wanted to work at a pet store, and I have a love for rocks, too," she said — noting that she would also enjoy a job studying rocks.

"Or I could work at the dog shelter," she added. "I would love that."

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