January 13, 2024, began like some other Saturday for Shelagh Williams. Not even 12 hours later, the 70-year-old lady was in hospital and successfully homeless.
Shelagh’s belongings, together with her mum’s ashes, jewelry and pictures of giant sentimental worth, had been inside her home in Tile House Lane when it went up in flames. But the demise of her beloved nine-year-old rescue canine Eddie, who was contained in the semi-detached property when it caught hearth, was, Shelagh says, probably the most devastating facet.
“I maintain having flashbacks,” Shelagh informed CoventryStay. “I maintain considering that if I hadn’t adopted Eddie he would nonetheless be right here now.
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“When I shut my eyes I maintain considering it is only a nightmare and once I get up I’ll be again in my very own home with Eddie. I’ll by no means get Eddie again, however I’d actually like my home again.”
Shelagh, who has devoted numerous hours to charities over the previous 25 years, was discharged from University Hospital Coventry final week having suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns to her arms. She has solely returned to her home as soon as because the blaze, however has not but been ready to return inside.
Not till the property is deemed secure sufficient to enter by the hearth service will Shelagh have a real grasp on what number of of her possessions, if any, are salvageable. And not till then will Shelagh be capable of assess if she will ever return to the home she known as home for greater than 45 years.
For now, Shelagh, who labored in gross sales and advertising within the frozen meals trade for a lot of her working life, resides in a privately-owned flat in Willenhall as a short lived measure. She hopes town council will take into account her for a unique property nearer to her many pals within the Tile Hill space as soon as the short-term tenancy expires.
“I’m very grateful to nonetheless have a roof over my head,” Shelagh mentioned. “But I’m a good distance from my pals and I do really feel fairly lonely and remoted.”
It’s the second near-death expertise Shelagh has confronted in recent years after she fell off a ladder onto sharp steel railings whereas pruning a tree. Fire crews minimize her free with the railings nonetheless embedded in her physique as she slipped out and in of consciousness.
She was rushed to hospital the place surgeons skilfully operated to take away the spikes following the autumn in July 2008.. Shelagh’s story was told by CoventryLive and featured on ITV’s This Morning in addition to the Real Lives channel on Sky.
“The (Coventry) Telegraph reported it,” Shelagh mentioned. “And they got here spherical to the home on a number of events.
“{A magazine} got here spherical and wrote a narrative on it. That was picked up by ITV and I went onto This Morning with Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton.
“Then one other firm contacted me and filmed on the home. I’d slightly not be on the centre of any extra media consideration.”
Shelagh, who remains to be troubled by her horrific leg accidents, has no quick household to name on. But she does have a military of kind-hearted pals due to her tireless contributions to charity and her presence round Tile Hill as a eager canine walker.
Two such acquaintances, Dawn Smith and Tania Pitchford, are spearheading an internet attraction for donations to assist her get again on her toes. It’s honest to say they’ve been inundated.
“Shelagh is the person who places herself final within the queue, at all times,” Tania mentioned. “Whenever I’ve been in poor health she’s turned up on the door with stuff. We had been on the cellphone all by means of Covid. We’d at all times be checking in on one another.
“She simply goes out of her approach. People say little kindnesses go a good distance. Her life is stuffed with little kindnesses that she most likely sweeps beneath the carpet and would not take into consideration, however they make an enormous distinction to folks and that is why folks need to assist.”
Hundreds of people have offered support within the type of garments, footwear, towels, bedding, kitchen utensils and enormous family items. Some native tradesmen have even provided to hold out varied work freed from cost ought to Shelagh get approval to probably rebuild her home, for which she had no building or content material insurance coverage.
“It was an expense she couldn’t afford,” it says on the JustGiving web page arrange on her behalf. Household objects and money are additionally being acquired at Andrea’s florists on Tile Hill Lane.
“You can at instances really feel fairly remoted,” Tania added. “And with all of the dangerous press round Tile Hill – you are at all times listening to about knife crimes and stabbings – folks say ‘the place’s the group?’ Well, right here it’s.
“Some persons are giving a fiver as a result of it is a variety of money to them. But they’re nonetheless giving it. People are coming collectively and saying ‘let me know when you want the rest or once you’re doing the rest. It’s heart-warming, it truly is.”
Dawn mentioned the overwhelming response was becoming for an old household pal and somebody who has executed a lot for others. “She at all times comes over to see my mum,” Dawn mentioned. “She’s helped my associate with hospital appointments.
“If my automotive’s damaged – ‘I’ll drive you’. She does a lot charity work. It’s simply terrible what’s occurred to her so I believed ‘proper, we have got to get on this’.
“She’s so busy serving to different folks. Now it is her flip as a result of she wants assist.” Tania and Dawn have acquired baggage upon baggage of donations, however say the present precedence, till Shelagh is aware of the place she can be dwelling within the longer-term, is for monetary contributions.
The JustGiving web page had raised near £3,000 on the time of writing. Visit the web page here for extra info or to make a donation.
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