OHIO NETWORK FOR THE CHEMICALLY INJURED
Sharing, Support, Community Education and Advocacy
P.O. Box 29290, Parma, Ohio 44129 (440) 845-1888



                       SHARE YOUR MCS STORY

Many of you know me.  My name is Toni Temple, founder and chair
of the Ohio Network for the Chemically Injured (ONFCI) and author
of Healthier Hospitals and the Healthier Hospitals on the Horizon
Campaign.

I am writing a new book entitled The Ostrich Syndrome which will
portray the brutal realities we face when we seek help after a
chemical exposure harms our health.  The book will also address
the false sense of security that is commonplace and the expanding
array of dangerous chemicals that find their way into our homes
and workplaces.

One chapter will give excerpts from real life stories that
illustrate how ignorance is not bliss but real danger.  I need
your stories to help the general public understand that MCS
happens to everyday people whose trust was violated by agencies,
physicians, and employers.  Typically, this lack of recognition
leads to further harm to health and ultimately disability.

What I need is simple.  Please send me a few paragraphs
describing the circumstances of your injury and your attempts to
seek help.  Since the book will focus on how keeping one's head
in the sand leads to permanent and irreversible damage to others,
don't be afraid to express your frustration and failed attempts
to be taken seriously or even believed.  Please use generic names
such as the board of health, my physician, my employer and a
federal agency when describing what happened to you.  I will
protect your anonymity omitting your name and mentioning your
city and state at your discretion.  Your article may be edited.

In a separate statement please give me your permission to publish
your story.  Be sure to sign and date it.  Please submit your
stories no later than August lst, 1999.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to help us educate all
those ostriches!  Maybe we'll even educate a couple of turkeys as
well.

Toni Temple, Chair