TUESDAY, MARCH 13 (2001) - LEAVING LONDON
This is my third visit to India. The first was in 1985, when I was just 18 and on my very first foreign modelling assignment. I had never been outside Britain before and it was so different from Newcastle where I'd grown up - the colour, the heat, the smells. I fell madly in love with the place and I vowed to go back one day.
In January this year my wish came true when I went to India for my 33rd birthday. I travelled all over Rajashan, spent a few days in Goa, then back to Jaipur for the highlight of the trip, a ride on the Palace on Wheels - the Indian Orient Express. I'd always dreamed of going on that train. I was so excited I spent all night looking out of the window. There was a full moon and there were lots of people living beside the railway line with their fires lit. It was magical.
So it was a terrific shock the day I arrived home to hear about the Gujarat earthquake. It was so close to where I had been. I just couldn't believe it happened and my immediate instinct was to get back there straight away, because I knew that where there were earthquakes there were always amputees.
There was a feeling of destiny about it. The first amputees I ever saw had been in India 18 years ago when I walked out of Delhi airport and saw legless men pushing themselves about on skateboards and children holding out stumps of arms begging. I was so shocked that I handed out money like sweets.
I didn't understand then that it was the wrong way to help: that begging is often run by organised crime and that some parents even amputated kids limbs because it made them better begging prospects. So in handing over money I was simply feeding this racket.
Today, I know that to really help the amputees another approach is needed and, because experience supplying limbs to landmine victims in the former Yugoslavia and in Sierra Leone, I will be able to help in a much more concrete way. I plan to organise a fitting day so that amputees, doctors and limb-makers can get together.
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It was another exciting, inspirational evening Tuesday, June 3 when Heather Mills was invited to fly to New York to help Jana Kohl, well regarded writer, artist, psychologist and fellow animal welfare advocate, co-host an important event and launch her new inspirational book, website and movement to generate awareness to the atrocities of "puppy mills."
The Grand Ballroom at Cipriani's on Wall Street in New York was buzzing Saturday night with inspiration, compassion and a great sense of excitement about "what could be" following the recent Farm Sanctuary Gala for Farm Animals.
Heather was on a panel of 10 judges at this Years 57th Annual Miss USA Beauty Pageant. She agreed to participate as a judge due to the charitable aspects of the event.
This year's winner was a 26-year old Texas business woman, Crystle Stewart who said she wants to dedicate her life to philanthropy. She will have helped, after only one reigning year to raise over $50 million dollars for various Breast and Ovarian cancer charities.
Heather took part in US reality TV show Dancing With The Stars during it's 4th season Mar 2007. Heather was the 1st contestant to compete with an artificial limb.
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