Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.
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Copyright © 1997 - 2009
Who is Helen Simmons?
"The affinity of writers for cats is something that has never been satisfactorily explained." ~ William H. A. Carr, President of Hemlock Society of Indiana Chapter (USA)
Helen Simmons, the charming Englishwoman whose stories of English homelife involving her cats - Francis, Waffles, and Marble appear on this site is not just any storyteller. She's a deeply compassionate, caring woman who has time for needy cats. And that is who Helen really is - regardless of the pain and heartbreak she, her family, and her cats currently may be dealing with. The following newspaper article was published in the Dereham and Fakenham Times (covering the towns of Dereham, Fakenham and Wells) on May 25, 2000, just a short time after her beloved Waffles lay hospitalized in a very grave condition as the victim of a hit and run car accident. I have taken the liberty of framing Mr. Corney's photo of Helen and Waffles.
Cat Lover Nets Hi-Tech Help
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Hundreds of well-wishers throughout the world have been following the recovery after a road accident of three-year-old Wendling moggie Waffles - thanks to the internet.
For two years, mortgage broker Helen Simmons, 41, has been logging on to various newsgroups to chat with other cat-lovers on the net and post stories about her three cats, Waffles, Francis and Marble.
On May 10, Waffles was hit by a vehicle and suffered a fractured skull, damaged right eye, broken rib, fractured right femur and broken pelvis.
A passer-by stopped and took Waffles to Dereham veterinary surgery Stevenson, Larwood and Kennedy. Mrs. Simmons and her husband Vernon had tagged their cat with the Petwatch identity system, so they were informed what had happened. |
Original Black/White Photo:
Courtesy of Graham Corney
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Since news of Waffles' injuries were posted on the internet, Mrs. Simmons has received hundred of e-mails of support from all over the world.
She added: "We have been so very touched by the kindness that we have been shown that we decided we had to do something in return."
The couple have temporarily "adopted" a cat they met at the surgery when they went to collect Waffles. The female tortoiseshell had suffered injuries in an accident in Yaxham Road, Dereham, but her owners could not be traced.
Mrs. Simmons contacted the People for Animal Care Trust, which has offered to help meet any shortfall in vets' bills for the cat, named Jill after the woman who found Waffles.
Now, Mrs. Simmons, pictured above with Waffles, has been flooded with offers of financial help after Waffles' internet fans discovered she had a little friend in need of help.
Jill has now received surgery. Waffles, meanwhile, is resting in a cage for the next six weeks.
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