Patrick Catholic Church in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. During the service, a small bat flew down from the vaulted ceiling, struck one of the stained glass windows, and fell to the floor. Jeanna Giese loved animals. At home she had two dogs and three rabbits, and she hoped one day to become a veterinarian. She asked her mother if she could catch the bat, take it outdoors, and release it, and her mother said that she could. Jeanna picked up the bat with her bare hands, carrying it by the wingtips, then went outside and tried to let go of it. But instead of flying off, the bat sank its teeth into the tip of Jeanna’s left index finger. The bite felt like a needle prick. Jeanna then grabbed the creature with her other hand and flung it away. Back at home, Jeanna’s mother, Ann, washed the wound, which was less than a quarter inch (0.6 cm) long, with hydrogen peroxide solution. Her father, John, was a construction worker and a deer hunter and he was accustomed to all types of minor scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
