An Interview with Camille Anthony about the Save The Quiet Kitty fund by Isabella Jordan

Isy: Camille, thanks for talking to us today. We're here to talk about the Save The Quiet Kitty fund. First, what can you tell us about the events that took place in your life that inspired it?

Camille: Over ten years ago, I contracted a lung disease named Pulmonary Scarcoidosis. Medical gurus don't know where it comes from or how it is caught, but they suspect it might be related to asbestos or lead fibers found in old buildings. A friend of mine, who worked in the state mental hospitals as I did, also caught this around the same time. She died three years later. Her family and others began a class-action suit against the state of CA that is still in progress today. Anyway, I coped with this until three years ago, when it moved into third stage. That's the stage where it becomes irreversible. I ended up in the hospital and the doctor wanted to send me home on oxygen. I didn't have the money to afford it and told him not to write prescriptions for things he knew I couldn't afford to get. Little did I know--and he didn't tell me--I was oxygen deficient at that time! The last two years found me struggling just to keep up. I'd begun writing, and to my everlasting shock, people actually liked what I wrote and bought it! The problem was...it was harder and harder to concentrate. To keep my descriptions straight. I'd get light headed and dizzy, forget things...like what you just said to me! LOL It was increasingly hard to even get up in the mornings and let's not talk about trying to sleep. Kept waking up with my eyes dry and burning, my body shaking and so confused, I'd often fall on the way to the bathroom. It all came to a head in January, when I was traveling home from a meeting. I passed out at the wheel of the car. I tell you, I believe in miracles, because I got one! I'd been feeling funny (strange, not haha!) for the last few miles and just as I thought I couldn't make another mile, I looked up and saw the sign that said: REST STOP THIS EXIT. I didn't even make it all the way into the stop. I coasted to a stop behind an 18 wheeler and that's the last I recall until I came to almost two hours later. My foot had been on the brake and I'd never let it up. But the car was still in drive~! I called my niece, and she drove out to meet me and escorted me to the hospital. Six days later, I came home on permanent oxygen, 24/7. In stage four of the scarcoid, my lungs are almost totally infiltrated, and the fibroid filtrates have begun attacking my heart. I have myocardial regurgitation on the right side, that causes some physical distress at times (read PAIN). 75% of the people who get this disease never go past the second stage. 25% reach the third stage and usually have died before they reach the 4th. I'm extremely blessed to have lasted this long, according to the doctors.

Isy: Your story is incredible. And you must be blessed to have bravely survived this terrible disease all this time. Now, how was the Save the Quiet Kitty fund started?

Camille: Save the Quiet Kitty is the brainchild of a wonderful friend of mine. Many of you know her as Shelby Morgen, owner and publisher of Changeling Press, LLC. I call her M. She's awesome! She got the bright idea to ask authors to help each other when disasters happen...and they do. I thought it was a great idea. I never imagined I'd be the first recipient, though.

Isy: She's a wonderful lady. =) How has and will this fund make a difference in your life?

Camille: First off, it will buy me the Inogen One portable Oxygen concentrator. This machine is so light, you can carry it on your shoulder. It's tiny, can fit between the bucket seats of a car. Runs on D/C, A/C and battery. No more heavy, clutzy EXPENSIVE tanks! It will free me to be able to leave my home and go grocery shopping, or go to my daughter's open house at school. It will allow me to travel. This last year, I went to RT and took the home oxygen machine with me. Ask my roomies, Flash and Lena how loud that sucker is! Plus, the cord snaked all throughout the house, and I'm sure some one tripped over it several times. I know I did. LOL Another way it will help is with extensive medical bills. I had to refuse a medical test last month, an echocardiogram. I know the doctor needs to know what's happening to my heart, but I simply couldn't afford the $1,800.00 the hospital wanted up front. Most importantly, just the fact that someone cared enough to invision something like Save the Quiet Kitty, and so many readers and authors and others have responded generously and openheartedly, makes me smile on even my worst days. It feels incredibly good to know you have friends. To know your situation matters to someone other than yourself. It's been a phenomenally humbling experience to be the receipient of such loving kindness. I'd like to take this time to say THANK YOU to all who've helped or thought good thoughts for me. I love you.

Isy: You have a LOT of people who love you and are pulling for you, including me. =) What are your hopes and expectations for Save The Quiet Kitty?

Camille: Well, Isabella, I am in the fourth stage of this disease, and I've seen the test results on my lungs. With luck and taking care not to over do, the doctor's give me maybe three years. Remember those miracles I told you about? I'm hoping for one of those, and planning on at least ten. With luck, I want to live to see my twins graduate from high school (5 years)

I won't always be a recipient. I want the Quiet Kitty to continue to help others. It's a real desire for me. That's why I intend to leave all my copyrights to the Save the Quiet Kitty Fund. As long as anyone is interested in reading something I've written, the proceeds will go to help authors without insurance. I like that thought. I encourage everyone out there to continue this charitable program. You never know what lies in the future. One day, you might become a recipient, yourself.

Isy: That's truly wonderful. What would you like to tell others out there who live in circumstances similar to yours?

Camille: Don't despair. My prognosis is terminal, but my life is GOOD! Live life hard and full. Let tomorrow take care of itself and hug your family everyday. I told my daughter, who is struggling right along with me, that I wanted to build sweet memories with her, so when I'm gone, she'll be able to look back and know I loved and cherished her. So don't let your circumstance narrow you into focusing on yourself. Share yourself with others, help someone in a worse situation than you. There is infinite blessings in just being able to wake up. I tell people: As long as I'm six feet above and not six feet below, that's a good day!

Isy: How can people contribute to Save The Quiet Kitty?

Camille: LOL Let me count the ways...

The first, and most important step is to open your heart. Then go to: www.savethequietkitty.com All the instructions are there. The officers of the fund have done a wonderful job with the site. You can learn how to donate, or pass the word. Passing the word is almost more important than donating. Remember, this is for future needs and other people, not just me.

Isy: What are you writing these days?

Camille: You know, the name of the fund was based on my first serial: Tales of the Quiet Kitty. At one point, I honestly thought there'd be no more tales...of any sort. I couldn't write. Could barely think. From the age of seven, I've written compulsively. It's not what I do, its who I AM. Since before January, I hadn't touched a thought to screen and I feared the muse was gone. Thank God, it's come roaring back with a passion. Which is a good thing, because I have contracts to fulfill with three publishing houses. They've all be wonderful to me, allowing me this time to regroup and recover. Thank you, Changeling Press among others. I just sold Food For the Gods. I had about finished Tales of the Quiet Kitty 4: Cat Scratch Fever, when my computer died and I lost the entire file. Yes, I know...I should have backed-up. What can I say? My brain hadn't been in the right place lately. However, that mistake will not occur again! So I am back on track with that story, and hopefully, it will be better for having to re-write it. I did have notes and segments on my PDA, so that helped. I have a thousands characters screaming in my ear. Chase is dying to get his story out, and Marti's other sister is in big trouble. The tasty twins of AOEM fame are having problems with their mother and ... Oh, just wait for what's coming! LOL I have so much to write and so little time! I'd like to say thanks again to everyone for helping make this time easier for me. And thank you, Isabella, for taking the time to talk with me today.

Isy: Thank YOU, Camille.