Hi Maeghan,
My most sincere apologies for the loss of Thunder.
I love animals so much and reading your post brought tears to my eyes.
I don't know what else to say except I love my dogs and birds so much that I honestly know how they can become family.
You have lost a good friend and like a good "mommy", you were there for him in the end.
This may sound stupid, but I still mourn a cockatiel I had who died over 7 years ago. He was only 4 years old, which is very young for cockatiel to die.
I took him to the vet over and over and it seems that he had pancreatic cancer (a common killer for birds).
My bird "helped" me write my Master's Thesis and there is not a day that goes by, I don't think about him.
Just try to remember the good times with Thunder and all the shows you two did together. Thunder will live on in your heart.
Again, my most sincere and heartfelt apologies. I wish things could have turned out better.
Amy