By Sabrina Dudley Johnson
May 04, 2022
reprinted with permission from www.fibrocop.org, the original home of FACES, Inc.
In 1999 WebMD.com conducted one of its Thursday Activism Chats in the Fibromyalgia Foyer on the topic of International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The cyber lecturer was Tom M. Hennessy, Jr., the founder and President of RESCIND, Inc. The following is a combination of the transcript of that chat and a cyber interview conducted by The Fibromyalgia Association Created for Education and Self-help (FACES) with Mr. Hennessy.
WEBMD'S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MR. HENNESSY RELATED THAT:
"Mr. Hennessy became motivated to fight the rampant and increasing misconceptions about several excruciatingly painful conditions. "Before becoming ill 13 years ago (1986) with a severe case of food poisoning, he was a hardworking entrepreneur in sales and marketing for 17 years. After becoming ill, Mr. Hennessy used his sales and marketing background to designate one day, each and every year when people with these conditions could work together to repeal the negative stereotypes."
MR. HENNESSY RELATED TO FACES, THAT:
In 1992, Rescind, Inc. chose May 12 as the day to provide education and awareness to the International Medical, Legal, and Employment communities along with the general public. The focus of awareness day is to inform the community of the devastating effects of Fibromyalgia and its related conditions and the desperate need for research, expeditious diagnosis, effective treatment and an ultimate cure.
MR. HENNESSY WENT ON TO EXPLAIN WHY MAY 12 WAS CHOSEN:
"May 12 of each year was chosen to memorialize the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse who inspired the founding of the International Red Cross."
A VISIT TO RESCIND'S WEBSITE REVEALD:
A biography of Ms. Nightingale. RESCIND stated that "Florence Nightingale lived a long and remarkable life. Although she is known as the founder of modern nursing, and one of the most famous women in history, few people know that she spent the last half of her life confined to her home and often bedridden, suffering from an illness similar to what we now call CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)." Mr. Hennessy added, "Nightingale, while visiting the front lines during war, contracted a painful, energy zapping illness in her mid-thirties. She lived out the latter half of her life struggling with symptoms reminiscent of Fibromyalgia."
RESCIND WENT ON TO RELATE THAT:
"Although an invalid for the rest of her life, Nightingale continued to have an influence on standards of nursing care and training. In 1859 she helped to establish the first Visiting Nurse Association and in 1860, she established a school that became a model for modern nurses training. She was considered an expert on the scientific care of the sick and was asked by the United States for her advice on caring for the wounded soldiers of the Civil War. Through correspondence and reports, she continued her influence throughout her last years. Ms. Nightingale was the first woman to receive the British Order of Merit. In 1907 the International Conference of Red Cross Societies listed her as a pioneer of the Red Cross Movement. Ms. Nightingale died in 1910 at the age of 90."
RESCIND announced International Awareness Month in 2000. RESCIND also emphasized that awareness day (and now awareness month) was established to disseminate awareness about Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Gulf War Syndrome and Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
FACES AGREED WITH RESCIND'S VISION:
"We all can make [International Awareness Month] a powerful catalyst that unites millions of patients, family members, [friends, coworkers], health care providers, legal advisors, employers and concerned citizens."
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