Hi, everybody! Soose here with another edition of "Spotlight". In this edition, we will meet Anne Watters, an extraordinary woman with an extraordinary story. Anne's is a saga of courage, determination, and with the help of WebTV, of recovery.
Anne had a brilliant future ahead of her, as she was pursuing a Ph.D in Astrophysics, while working as a successful business manager. Then on September 13, 1992, tragedy struck. Anne was a passenger in a terrible automobile accident. She was thrown from the car 80 feet and landed on her head. She suffered multiple hemmorhages to the right side of her brain, and was in a coma for 5 weeks. As a result, her left side is paralyzed. Many people figured that if Anne survived the ordeal, she would more or less be a vegetable. But Anne proved them wrong.
After much therapy and rehabilitation, Anne was allowed to live alone unsupervised in December, 1996. And alone she was--lonely she was, too. Her disability had kept her from going places, meeting people, and just doing "stuff". Then WebTV came into the picture.
With the help of WebTV, a wonderful new world opened up for Anne. To quote Anne,
"WebTV brought the world into my living room, where I interact from the comfort of my recliner. I have made 25 homepages and play online games every day. I am on 12 mailing lists. I am lonely no more. Being on the Internet has greatly improved my thinking. A brain injury greatly impairs short-term memory. I now know what day it is--every morning! Thank you, WebTV!"
Yes, Anne DOES have 25 homepages scattered on many different site providers, including GeoCities, Tripod, and WBS. I have read most of her homepages, and she discusses her experiences since the accident openly and frankly.
She also makes a game of touring her homepages by challenging the reader to find the "mystery" page. If found, the reader's name will be added to her "Stars" page (a list of lucky people who have found the "mystery" page). Your journey to "stardom" and the quest for the "mystery" page starts at:
(I have yet to find it......she won't tell me, either......DARN!)
Since Anne is unable to carry most things, she has "invented" a unique way of getting a cup of coffee from the kitchen to the living room. Visit one of her homepages located at:
and e-mail her to find out how she does it. I did, and it IS quite inventive. I'm not going to give her secret away. You will just have to e-mail her at PURPLE9999@webtv.net and she will be delighted to tell you.
The following URLs are highly recommended if you want to learn more about this remarkable woman:
"I was going to compare my life with TV--as I've gotten less active, it's done more. At 10, we had 2 channels here. At 18, 4, etc. Now, at 44, I have 108 channels and sit in my recliner all day. And I play with my TV--Web TV and video games. Digital cable has a lot to play with."
Anne, we at NET4TV salute you! You have proved that WEBTV is much more than just an entertainment device. We are proud to have you as our second WEBTVian to be in the "Spotlight".
Soose
Comments? Suggestions? Know someone we ought to "spotlight?" Send us Your 2 Cents!
as she was pursuing a Ph.D in Astrophysics, while working as a successful business manager. Then on September 13, 1992, tragedy struck. Anne was a passenger in a terrible automobile accident. She was thrown from the car 80 feet and landed on her head. She suffered multiple hemmorhages to the right side of her brain, and was in a coma for 5 weeks. As a result, her left side is paralyzed. Many people figured that if Anne survived the ordeal, she would more or less be a vegetable. But Anne proved them wrong.
After much therapy and rehabilitation, Anne was allowed to live alone unsupervised in December, 1996. And alone she was--lonely she was, too. Her disability had kept her from going places, meeting people, and just doing "stuff". Then WebTV came into the picture.
With the help of WebTV, a wonderful new world opened up for Anne. To quote Anne,