wowzone.com
When you save a life, you change the world.In the summer of 2000, a group of people that never met spontaneously orchestrated a life saving plan over the internet. The results were astounding. This story is real. It took almost two years to write about it for several reasons. First and foremost, we wanted to make sure that there could be no traces left that would eventually put the life we saved back in jeopardy. Also, even though the story was an overwhelming experience and success for all involved, it worked out so perfectly that it may sound made up. But it's not. Here it is... It was a beautiful hot summer day and I was taking a little time off from work. So much had happened and I really needed to get away from it, to get a little perspective. I was outside enjoying the beauty of nature when suddenly and without any apparent reason, I stopped everything and went straight for the computer. About 300 emails came through, and I was skimming the subjects when I saw..."SOS - 911 - Please Help - This is no joke". The email was from Richard, a member of the (r)evolution network - a gathering place on WOW Zone for pacifist advocates for peace and harmony in the home and in society. At that time, we were focusing on Domestic Violence, because just a few months earlier, we had violently lost Rachel Miller, who had been killed by her abusive ex-husband. We all knew Rachel, she was the inspiration behind the (r)evolution network, and her loss had shocked us all. I read the SOS email which explained that "Mary" and her children were in grave danger, and they had no way of escaping because the aggressor, Mary's husband, was a respected public official. Nobody would help her if they wanted to stay on good terms with her husband. So, Mary was a prisoner in her home and in her state. Her chances at living a long life were very limited. In fact, her desperate cry for help made it obvious that she had reached a point of no return. Having nowhere to turn, she decided to take a chance and ask total strangers on the internet for help. The chain of events that followed were nothing short of a miracle. Her email somehow reached Richard, and he had heard of a lady named Kathy Williams who could deal with these situations. He forwarded the email to everyone on the Domestic Violence list, asking if anyone knew Kathy Williams. When I saw that name, I recognized it, because I remembered receiving an email from her just a few days earlier. She had introduced herself and said she was very impressed with the work we were doing. She said that if we ever had an emergency, we could count on her to help. Her turn came up soon enough. I emailed both Kathy and Richard with all the details, and from that moment, things started rolling. All day long, we had emails with updates and prayers for Mary and her children's safe passage. Like relay batons, they were taken from place to place in total anonymity, leaving no trace. They had a long and dizzying journey. Can you imagine their anxiety, their fear, their yearning for the taste of freedom? That night, Kathy wrote to tell me that Mary and her children were safe in an undisclosed location. They had been moved from one end of the country to the other, and it was all taken care of in just under 18 hours. Mission Accomplished - All is well - Thank God. If you are in a dangerous relationship, don't wait till it's too late. People who love you will NOT abuse you. There are countless places you can turn to if you need help. This story is proof that miracles do happen. But please, don't count on a miracle. Get help now. With special thanks to all who made this possible, and with the ardent hope that domestic violence - and all violence - will soon be a thing of the past. Wishing only well, Carmen Colombo WOW Zone
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