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Clone Rights United Front
Sacred Cloning and Loved Cats
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Back to Personalizing The Issues "Sacred Cloning and Loved Cats." The tragic story begins on 22nd March 1999. Francesca and her
sister Paola are in Sterzing (near Brenner border) and feel so happy as to wish
to take their beloved cats with to that wonderful place. They particularly think
of Emile and Ophelia all the time, their first two Rag doll breed cats, that are
special from each point of view: Francesca’s guardian angels, the protectors
of her dreams. Moreover, the shops glasses are full of little pottery geese,
that seem to lean to the people who look at them, like Ophelia does. Her
nickname is “Quequo”, because of her funny way of walking, just like a
goose. Ophelia’s beauty was unique: her pale coat, shining and
glittering under the sunlight, her wonderful expressive little face, her
stunning blue eyes, like mountain lakes, and her characteristic, unique
personality made her indispensable to the two sisters, who felt like mothers to
her. Ophelia acted like she was Francesca’s baby, and at the same time
she protected her as well as Emile. She tirelessly waited for her for hours in
front of the main door, and was her shadow. In the night between 22nd and 23rd march Francesca and Paola go
to sleep without realizing that, because of an obstruction of the stove, the
carbon monoxide flutters beginning to fill their flat. They can say that a true
miracle saved them, for Paola, who wakes up as first to answer her mobile (they
“slept” all day long), immediately opens up all the windows, and pulls
Francesca to breathe fresh air. Francesca is almost unconscious. The phone call comes from their mother, who let them know that
Ophelia is very ill, she presumably has a pyometra, that is to say a very bad
uterine infection. The day after Ophelia has to be operated. Francesca cannot even think to loose Ophelia, who’s young and
strong, the stars shine close and sad in the cold, vivid mountain sky, at night
Francesca looks at them and asks God to take her instead of Ophelia, she feels
as each molecule of her body is sorrow -stricken and destroyed, her mind makes a
terrible effort to stick to reality. In the end, devastated, she wishes in her prayers to God “Thy
will shall be done”. During the whole night the torture has no end, Francesca sees
everything that happens at home, her mother sleeps in Francesca’s bedroom with
Ophelia, who fighter with her whole strength against the veterinary, while
she was making an inner cleaning. On 24th March 1999 Ophelia is definitely better, as a
consequence she is operated. The veterinary communicates that the operation was successful,
now Ophelia has to get over the anesthesia. Michele, Paola’s fiancée, is told
by the veterinary to bring Ophelia back home: she is cold, wet, deeply anesthetized, with the catheter. Michele tries to dry her by putting his
pullover and jacket on her, then when at home he tries to dry and warm her with
the hairdrier. Unfortunately, as it could be foreseen, Ophelia has a
heart-failure, collapses and dies. She dies without Francesca close to her, with
the remembrance of the fear and pain she felt, and poor Michele astonished,
while an American Natives music plays. In the meanwhile Francesca is in the train on her way home,
pouring tears of blood and hoping to manage at least to hug her for the last
time. Paola crying phones Chiara, an old friend and breeder of Siameses and
Oriental cats, who understands that their lives have changed forever. Francesca arrives back home, the house is empty, Ophelia is no
more there. Her despair drives her to look for Ophelia everywhere. She falls in
a state of prostration and deep depression, goes to neurologists and
endocrinologists who fill her up with pills, but the sole true help comes from
the other cats who conforted Ophelia until the end, they miss her so much, as
Alison, her best cat friend, nearly dies and Francesca must intervene to save
her. The cats made a circle around Ophelia during her illness, and
they seem to have acquired a new state of awareness. Francesca thinks about her grandmother, her mother’s aunt
Maria, and her dead young friends Giovanni and Peter; of course, also the other
deceased cats and animals, and she asks to herself whether they are with
Ophelia. She remembers that during the illness of her friend Giovanni she
had been able to see the aura of Emile, a magic, surreal light in the night.
Emile has always had something supernatural, an intelligence on a barely
unimaginable level, matched to a sensitivity that’s out of the ordinary. Francesca remembers of a dream she had a few weeks before
Ophelia’s death: a tiger with Ophelia’s bleeding body in her teeth. After a while, Paola and Francesca become aware of strange
phenomena: they see Ophelia on her favourite pillow, Francesca feels her on her
bed at night. In the middle of the night a carillon suddenly begins to play, it
didn’t work for years, it was sent by an American friend who breeds cats of
the same breed. Chiara also has her peculiar cat, Toffee, an Oriental red tabby
spotted spayed female that is the copy to Chiara, they understand each other,
just a look and their minds are in perfect synchrony, they learn one from the
other until their knowledge is one. In July 1997 Chiara has a heart-attack. Half an hour before, Toffee
runs like hell, she meows desperately, nervously licks Chiara’s face
and hands: as a consequence Chiara understands that something’s going to
happen. After a while Chiara faints and is driven to the hospital, Toffee does
not want to eat anymore, Chiara’s husband is forced to take her to the
hospital as well. In the presence of Chiara, Toffèe eats a bit, at home she
does not move away from Chiara’s pillow. 3 months after Chiara is safe again from an heart-attack thanks
to Toffèe. After those experiences Chiara cannot think that Toffèe could
die before her. She asks her husband and a friend who works in that field that
if anything would happen to her, Toffèe will be put to sleep and buried
near Chiara. From 24th March 1999 Francesca has been living in the shadow of
memories. In the morning of 19th November 1999 Chiara realizes that Toffèe
has something in her mouth, a thread, she immediately tries to extract it but
she is not able to. She phones the veterinary (the same who operated Ophelia and
sent her home), who advises to give her paraffin-oil. Chiara phones Francesca,
who has a bad presentiment even if the matter appears like only a trifle. Toffèe does not eat anymore, she is operated 2 days after the
incident, and quickly gets worse . By this time nothing but skin and bone she
dies on 26th November in Chiara’s arms. Chiara is shocked, she clasps Toffèe
in her arms, and clearly feels something rising high from their inner bodies,
she also prays God to take her instead of her beloved cat. Under the impulse of
the moment she addresses to death “you will pay, loathsome beast!”. That night a very peculiar star is shining in the sky, a much
brighter and closer one, the same which accompanied Ophelia. Francesca has been
looking at it for months, trying to see the shining of the vivid blue eyes
again. Toffèe is buried in a wood. Chiara puts on Toffèe’s tail a
ring owned by her dead mother. Chiara is in a state of deep depression and prostration as
Francesca, an electric circuit broke. The other cats help but cannot cure the
torment of their souls. In the meanwhile Pimpa, that is to say the daughter to Ophelia
and the very beautiful Merlin, begins to act in the same way as her mother did. Later, Francesca is told that her best friend in Gossensass
(near Brenner border), Pauli, is very seriously ill. In the beginning she
hasn’t the nerve to see him, then she takes fresh heart to phone him, she
hears him quite merry as usual, and promises that she would visit him at home
for the Eve. When it happens, she spends 2 days of grief but also of deep
joy and emotion, close to such a special man, between them is born a feeling
that’s more than friendship, and they promise to each other not to leave
anymore. Furthermore, Pauli tells her about his dead cat and his belief to
see him soon again, also his friends and Ophelia. He swears to stay close
to Francesca and them too. On 16th January 2000 he dies; next to him there’s a card he
had just received from Francesca and he decided to keep close. Francesca suffered terribly, but as soon as she lays in her bed
she has a wonderful feeling, as if something powerful would come out of her from
deep inside, and feels Pauli’s presence between her and Emile, who sleeps on
her pillow. Then she dreams of him, telling her not to worry as everybody’s
fine, himself, their friends, the cats. And she sees Ophelia near him, looking
at her….smiling. Emile, quiet, understands. In consequence of a dream, Francesca feels little paws walking
softly on her. Only Ophelia and Pimpa did that. She suddenly turns to look:
Pimpa is sleeping on a chair. Chiara, prostrated with grief, does not reason anymore. A mad
idea enlightens her mind: “I will clone Toffèe, cost what it may!” In the
beginning Francesca is astonished, none of them thought of it before. However,
she is ready to do her best to help Chiara. Chiara experiences the same phenomena as Francesca, she sees and
feels Toffèe close to her, she touches her, kisses her and feels her wet lips.
She dreams of a room composed by walls of glass in the middle of a wood, she
holds Toffèe’s brother and nephew, a strong and icy wind is blowing hard.
Chiara deduces from the details that the wind is the death. They give rise to the project that Francesca jokingly calls
“the Trieste witches project”. First Chiara comes into contact with a bioethecist, Massimiliano
Marinelli, whose opinion is necessary to act in clean conscience. Marinelli
answers that to be able to clone they need live cells, and the clone will not
have the original soul, the history cannot be cloned. He goes further claiming
that Chiara follows the rules of Sanscrit and the vedic meditation. He
cannot understand the necessity that compels her to go on. In the meantime Francesca contacts Ian Wilmut, who cloned the
well known sheep Dolly. Wilmut answers that live cells are required and he does
not know of anybody working on felines. Chiara writes to Dulbecco and a colleague of his. Blank silence
follows. Francesca gets in touch with Michel Raynal, a french
cryptobiozoologist, who’s very kind and ready to help. He advises to apply to
Prof. Svante Paabo, a biologist who works in Germany. Furthermore, he confirms
that the cloning is possible, but it will cost million dollars. Paabo answers that there is nothing he can do. A lot of coincidences occur. Chiara and Francesca continually
hear the songs they dedicated to Ophelia and Toffèe, respectively “blue
eyes” by Elton John and “Tofì” by Vasco Rossi. Francesca comes into contact with the Center for Para psychological
Studies in Bologna, and the Faculty of Parapsychology at
Edinbourgh University. In Bologna they advises about a lady that showed
remarkable medianic abilities, Mrs Graziella Montanari, a sensitive that with no
clues describes to Francesca at the phone her house and Ophelia sitting on her
favourite pillow. Once received Ophelia’s photo she also relates the cause of
her death. From Edinburgh the College for Psychical Studies in London is
recommended. The President is Mrs Logan Lewis-Proudlock, an lovely lady who
shares Chiara and Francesca’s grief. She confirms that their cats are near
them, and enters their names in a healing list, to benefit of distant healing,
as at the College there’s a group of people who gather for praying twice a
week. Also the medium Rosemary Altea answers and confirms the presence
of the cats, nonethless she enters Chiara and Francesca in her distant healing
list held by the R.A.A.H. Francesca is a regular reader of “The X Factor”, an english
review, translated into italian. Through an article written by the english
cryptozoologist Karl Shuker she finds out that in Japan Prof. Shirota attempts
to clone the moa, a gigantic prehystoric bird, and Prof Kazufumi Goto looks for
frozen sperm of mammoth to try to obtain a clone. Besides at Sydney Museum they try to clone the tilacinus, that
has been extinct for a hundred years. Chiara and Francesca bring into contact with Karl Shuker, who
lets the matter drop with diplomacy. Chiara thinks that she has to find the necessary money, but
where might biologists clone from dead cells or offsprings? The search goes on, important american societies for the cloning
and the storing of animal DNA as Lazaron, Perpetuate, Replicate, Clonapet either
do not answer or repeat that there are no chances. Only David Field at Lazaron advises to store tissues and hair of
Toffèe. Chiara believes that Toffèe is already rotten. In the meanwhile Chiara, through an article published in “Il
Corriere della Sera”, traces back to the american society “Genetic Savings
and Clone”, whose scientists have started the “Missyplicity project”: a
texan multi-millionaire wants to clone his dog Missy that’s still alive, and
gave a lot of money for the research to this society. The newspaper carries the fact that the project is managed by a
business man, Lou Howthorne. Chiara contacts him and calls for his help, Lou answers that it
is not possible. And still Chiara and Francesca don’t give up as they know that
those attempts are made (see “The X Factor”). Chiara writes to Lou asking to bring her into contact with the
anonymous Texan rich man, she would like to know whether she could have a help
from him in case of the cloning of Toffèe. Lou Howthorne answers that he talked
to his client about the project and answered his questions, adding that the best
scientists work in his society and for 30 years at least there is no hope. As a
consequence the rich man infer that he has no chance to help Chiara. Francesca finds the datas of the University of Monash in
Australia and gets in touch with the biologist Tracy Hocking, with Prof Michael
Archer, Director of the Sydney Museum (where they want to clone the tilacinus),
and Diana Hill at Otago University in New Zeland, a molecular biologist who’s
working at the project of the Huia clone, a bird that became extinct 200 years
ago. Tracy Hocking comes into contact with Latrobe University, where
they are working at the clone of the Tasmanian tiger. The biologists answer to
store bones and hair of Toffèe by some university. Michael Archer answers that they obtained the clone of the
tilacinus, but to be able to reach this point he had to entrust other seats with
their technologies. Diana Hill writes that she’d love to help, but has neither
funds nor the permits required. She advises to contact a colleague in New Zeland,
David Wells, who answers that he cannot do anything. Oddly, Michel Raynal does not write anymore. Remembering the advices given by David Field, Tracy Hocking and
the biologist at Latrobe, and the same Michel, Chiara desperately searches for
someone who could store Toffèe’s mortal remains. She comes into contact with
Dr Cesare Galli at Cremona University, who cloned the bull Galileo, the very
first animal clone in Italy. Dr Galli is skeptical and answers that he can store the tissues
in liquid azot, but he sees no chance to clone Toffèe. On 15th March 2000 Chiara, her husband (and Francesca just as a
moral help), recover the corpse of Toffèe. Chiara would like to hold her tight
in spite of the advanced state of decomposition, everybody is convulsed
with pain. Chiara sobbing talks at the mobile with Dr Galli, while her husband
plucks up courage and cuts the pieces, 2 of the tail and 2 of muscles, and
convinces Chiara to take back the ring. The day after the pieces are sent to
Cremona. Chiara washes the ring that was on Toffèe’s tail, she puts it
on her finger, she looks in the mirror and sees only Toffèe’s eyes. What’s
up, she asks to herself? Francesca finds the e-mail addresses of Kazufumi Goto and
Yasuzuki Shirota. The Japanese professors do not answer. Instead of them Tatsuyuki
Suzuki answers, he is cloning a cat at Yamaguchi University, he states that he
would try to clone Ophelia through her offsprings! Chiara hasn’t still reached her aim, she never had a great
faith, she rarely prayed, but helped the ones who were in troubles, she always
is present when needed. Now she has no money, she does not find concrete answers: desperate, with a broken heart, she prays God with all her might. Finally a positive answer comes! Francesca brings the good news,
the Cyber.uni society answered, particularly Prof. Rhys Michael Cullen, the
administrator manager of the society. He claims that at the Cyber.uni they would
attempt to clone Toffèe, and even Ophelia. After a while Francesca receives a letter she was waiting for a
long time, from the medium Hilary Merrill, a member of the College for Psychical
Studies in London. Hilary advises them both against the cloning, for the cats’
souls will not come back, the bodies will belong to other cats, Toffèe and
Ophelia concluded their tasks here, but still are very close to Chiara and
Francesca for helping them with their spiritual power. They chose to share their
lives with Chiara and Francesca, and now it’s time to let them go. Francesca has always been worried about Ophelia’s feelings if
seeing a twin to her. She does not believe it is right, and thinks Hilary said the
right words. Ophelia left her daughter Pimpa, who acts exactly like her mom.
Graziella Montanari states that Pimpa is in very close touch with her mom who
helps and loves Francesca through her. Prof Cullen contacts Dr Galli in order to have information on
Toffèe’s tissues. Dr Galli answers that he did not even examined the tissues
under a microscope for they were in a state of total decomposition. Chiara asks Prof Cullen what are his plans, he answers that he
is informing about the shipping regulations in order to send the pieces to New
Zeland. In the meantime Chiara has to undergo an urgent operation to
remove the cataract that developed as a consequence of a serious form of
diabetes which has been afflicted her since she was very young. She goes to the reliable oculist, who is dismayed in confirming
that the cataract arrested. The operation is suspended. Francesca and Chiara thank the team at the College and decide to
rely upon them in order to make spiritual progresses. Chiara looks for the necessary money through someone who would
invest in the project. We sent this story to the BBC, they were interested in it, we were invited to London, thereafter they probably spoke to Prof Cullen and it suddenly changed. At the BBC they answered that they had no more the chance to do the interview......... These heroines have created their own website in memory of Toffee and Ophelia at http://rfci.org/members/doria/
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