LEESBURG, Fla. — On her way to the Lake & Sumter Style Magazine Business Women of Style Cover Page event, certified financial planner Jeananne Niemann made an unexpected detour — one that saved a group of orphaned ducklings.

(Jeananne Niemann with one of the four Wood Baby Ducklings she and her husband Kurt saved on the side of the road.)

Niemann, a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Leesburg and an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, was en route to the Lake & Sumter Style Magazine’s Business Women of Style event Thursday when she and her husband Kurt Niemann noticed a small group of ducklings in distress on the side of the road.

“We saw that a mother duck had sadly been hit and killed, and her babies were nearby, panicked and confused,” Niemann said. “We couldn’t just leave them.”

(There were four protected wood baby ducklings picked up and saved.)

Without hesitation, Niemann and her husband, Kurt, pulled over, found a box in their vehicle, and gently gathered the ducklings, one by one.

The baby ducks, identified as Wood Ducks — a protected species in Florida — were unharmed, though clearly in need of care. Niemann contacted Owls Nest Sanctuary, a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, which took in the ducklings the following day.

(Owls Nest Sanctuary came by and picked the orphaned ducklings up. They will be well taken care of.)

“The story has a happy ending,” Niemann said. “Owls Nest specializes in rescuing animals like this. While we’re sad to see them go, but we’re so glad they’re in good hands.”

We absolutely love stories like this. It’s everyday acts of wonderful people in our community that make a difference. Thank you to Jeananne Niemann and Kurt Niemann for saving these little ducklings and giving them a chance. Awesome job!