Health: Inspiring Stories

The Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was formed in 1863 and includes International Red Cross and Red Crescent. Its founder, Henry Dunant, witnessed a battle in 1859 between Austria and Franco-Sardinians, and saw that over 40,000 soldiers were dying as a result of the battle and desperately needed medical attention. Duant asked local people to care and attend to the wounded soldiers. His actions helped in the formation of the ICRC. The ICRC is a neutral organization and its mission is to protect and assist war and internal conflict victims as well as victims of natural disasters.

The ICRC also works to promote and increase the power of humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. More notable work done by the ICRC includes: visiting detainees, reuniting families, protecting civilians, ensuring economic security, providing health services to victims, providing access to clean water and living facilities. The ICRC’s most notable work of the ICRC is its work in reuniting families that have been separated due to conflicts or disasters. Without the efforts of the ICRC, billions of people throughout the world would have perished through the violent conflicts, wars and natural disasters that have plagued the world throughout its history. The ICRC worked to provide assistance to victims and deportees during World War II.

The ICRC has many derivative organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which was founded in 1919 with the intention to improve the health of people in countries that suffered during World War I. Today, the ICRC works throughout the world and operates in areas including: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Colombia, Yemen, and Mali/Niger.

Jonny Immerman, Cancer Survivor and Founder of Immerman Angels

Jonny Immerman, a native to the state of Michigan in the U.S., was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2001 when he was just 26 years old. Although Jonny had friends and family to support him during his fight with cancer, Jonny wished that he had someone to speak with that had the same cancer like him, someone his age that could directly understand his situation. In 2003, Jonny founded the Immerman Angels, an organization in Chicago, which matches cancer patients with cancer survivors of the same age, gender, and cancer type. Jonny’s “mentor angels” offer support to cancer sufferers and the opportunity for cancer patients to speak with cancer survivors. Jonny’s efforts have paired up cancer survivors and patients to help bring an understanding and hope for the future of many people suffering from all types of cancer.

Florence Nightingale – Founder of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery

Florence Nightingale was born in Italy on May 12, 1820 into a wealthy British family. At the age of 17, Florence decided to make a career in nursing and began her studies. At the time, nursing was not considered a reputable career choice, and was mostly a job for poor women; the nurses traditionally followed the armies and often served as cooks and prostitutes. Florence, however, focused on working to improve medical care for poor people. In 1854, Florence went with 38 volunteer nurses that she trained to the Crimea. When Florence arrived in the hospitals, she found overworked medical staff with few medical supplies and poor hygiene practices. Florence demanded that changes be made, but no one really listened to her until newspapers back in England reported how badly the British Army was caring for its soldiers. Florence and her nursing staff cleaned the hospital and equipment and improved patient care for the soldiers; her actions helped improve conditions and helped decrease mortality rates in the hospital.

Florence returned back to England in 1856 and worked to improve the quality of nursing within the military hospitals. She produced evidence to the 1857 Sanitary Commission in the UK; the Army Medical College formed shortly after. Florence continued to write books on nursing and helped with training nurses for employment. In 1860, Florence helped to establish the Nightingale School & Home for Nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London and she helped change the reputation for the nursing field. Her legacy is remembered and continues to remain strong for nurses around the world.

Amma

Amma was born in a small fishing village called Parayakadavu, Kerala, India on September 27, 1953, and she has become well known as a spiritual healer that and promotes non-violence. In India, Amma has become so popular that she sometimes sits for over 20 hours and hugs over 50,000 people in a day. Amma has received world recognition for her spiritual healings and has traveled internationally with her mission. She has addressed the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago, the United Nations in New York and the Global Peace Initiative of Women religious and Spiritual Leaders, conducted at the UN in Geneva. She has received the 2002 Gandhi-King award for Non-violence.

Amma routinely travels to the U.S. and thousands come to see her and listen to her speak. During her tour, she conducts morning meditations, inspiring talks, and leads devotional songs. Amma finishes the sessions hugging every single person present, transferring her positive energy to each person. Amma’s life and mission has inspired the books Amma Healing the Heart of the World and Women of Power and Grace,

Louis Pasteur, French Chemist and Biologist

Born in 1822 in France, Louise Pasteur is famous for his work in developing vaccinations for diseases, primarily the rabies vaccination. Pasteur spent much work on uncovering the cause of the disease and how it is circulated through the human body. He was able to create a form of the virus by examining the tissues of rabbits infected with the rabies virus. In 1885, Pasteur first used the rabies vaccination on Joseph Meister, a man who had been bitten by a dog with rabies. After 10 days of treatment, Meister recovered from rabies and was cured. Pasteur was recognized for his innovative vaccination and presented his results to the Academy of Sciences in 1886. Today, scientists use a modified version of Pasteur’s rabies treatment. Pasteur’s innovative approaches to science and medicine are widely recognized around the world and his efforts helped propel modern medicine and techniques for disease prevention.

Elizabeth Blackwell, first female doctor in the U.S.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in 1821 in Bristol, England and moved with her family to the U.S. when she was 11 years old. Elizabeth had no interest in medicine until a close friend was dying and told her she would have been better if she had a woman doctor. Elizabeth was determined to become a doctor from that moment forward. At the time, only men were enrolled in all the medical schools in the U.S., and so her chances of being admitted were very low, but she was accepted to and graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York. Elizabeth later opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with her sister, Dr. Emily Blackwell, who followed in Elizabeth’s footsteps and earned her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The New York Infirmary for Women and Children also contained a women’s medical college and helped train and educate women doctors and it also provided medical care for the poor. Elizabeth’s efforts helped encourage women to become physicians and practice medicine in the U.S.