Charity founder hospitalised after anonymous call

Before Paula Powers slumped into her sister's arms, she answered a phone call from an anonymous number.

The caller had contacted the wildlife refuge run by Paula and her identical twin sister Bridgette on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The woman on the other end of the line was vicious.

"She said we were scamming little so and so's," said Paula.

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"She swore at me and I was left shaking."

Paula collapsed and her mum Helen Powers thought she might have suffered a stroke.

"It was very, very nasty, enough to put her blood pressure up and for her to take a bad turn," Helen said.

"I'm just so glad that the ambulance service came and took her to hospital because I honestly thought I'd lost her."

After overnight observation in hospital Paula was released but collapsed again two days later while filming an interview for A Current Affair.

"Why does my head hurt," Paula said as slumped in front of me.

Mum Helen quickly called an ambulance again and we made Paula as comfortable as we could until it arrived.

I ask Helen how she'd describe the call before Paula's paralysing headaches.

"Wicked," says Helen.

"I think the woman is sick."

It's hard to understand how anyone could hate the 'twinnies'.

The 48-year-old twins have become world famous because they have a habit of talking in unison and wear exactly the same clothes.

On British breakfast TV journalist and author Piers Morgan asked them if they felt like they were one person.

The 'twinnies' replied in stereo: "Sometimes we do feel like one person - yes we do."

For 22 years the sisters have run their charity called 'Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue' where they claim to have saved more than 25,000 birds.

"If we weren't here most of these birds would die or be euthanised," they said.

"We rescue them and look after them and set them free again."

The Twinnies suffer from a number of health conditions which affect their hearts and blood pressure.

"But they never complain," said Helen.

"They work from dawn till late at night fighting to save injured birds most vets say can't be helped."

Their work costs money and their refuge centre is about to close because the owner of the property they rent wants to sell.

"We can't afford the $1.2 million to buy it," the sisters said.

"So we started an online fundraiser to get some cash to keep going and move somewhere else."

It's that fundraiser which sparked the vicious phone call from the anonymous women who abused Paula.

"As far as the woman who made the nasty phone call, if she's sick or troubled in any way I hope she gets help," said Helen.

"You can't hate. I've always said you shouldn't hate."

Helen called the police and they are now investigating the abusive phone call.

"Police say they can trace the caller even though it was a non ID-ed call," Helen said.

In the meantime Paula has spent almost a week in hospital - her twin Bridgette mostly by her side.

"They are angels without wings and they're not flying away anywhere yet," Helen said.

"But they are so soft and gentle, they wouldn't hurt a fly."

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