Michael and Lisa are the deceased biological parents of Donnie Thornberry. They were naturalists who lived in Borneo until they were murdered by poachers.
History[]
Michael and Lisa were naturalists who, after living in Borneo for awhile, decided to stay in the country due to their love for nature, especially the orangutans. They also befriended local villagers who gifted them with a baby carrier for their infant son, Donnie. The family eventually befriended an orangutan mother and her baby son and taught them sign language which Donnie learned as well, though only one sign was shown (family) and it is unknown how much the couple actually taught them. Donnie's family lived an overall happy life until one night some poachers attempted to steal that same orangutan family (or at least the baby) but they managed to help the mother and her baby escape, but unfortunately the poachers killed Donnie's family as revenge.
The villagers gave Donnie's parents a great funeral, with Donnie standing by the river until he spotted the orangutan family and decided to leave with them. The orangutan mother took care of Donnie out of gratitude towards his parents until she eventually met another family of naturalists; The Thornberrys and decided that it was time to give Donnie up to the human family.
Years later, the Thornberrys return to Borneo in time for Donnie's "birthday", or rather the anniversary of the day they found him since the family doesn't know when he was born. Donnie spends some time with his former orangutan mother after running away due Eliza getting mad at him. After the entire family was reunited Nigel and Marianne discovered that they once met Donnie's biological parents, Michael and Lisa, when they were on their honeymoon and Nigel and Marianne believed they were destined to have Donnie with them. The family also discovers that Donnie still remembers his birth parents as he drew (as best as he could) a picture of Michael and Lisa when they compared the drawing to a photograph of them.
Upon finding out that Donnie's parents are deceased, Nigel and Marianne finally adopted Donnie and gave him the middle name Michael in honor of his biological father, making his full name Donald Michael Thornberry.
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