Library Collections: Document: Full Text

More than money and a respirator is involved in our new respirator contest. You are scattered in every corner of the world, separated by thousands of miles and languages differences, but drawn together by our common problem. This census enclosed with your TJG will give us the Story of the Respo around the world -- in 49 foreign countries and the 50 United States.

With this census we will know about your medical history, home and hospital care, equipment, personal history and other essential information. Gathering these facts into one central office will enable us to work on legislation, etc. in this country to aid respos. Our plight is a unique one. Fifteen years ago not many of us would have lived. In the '50's, new inventions, medical advances and modern medicines gave us a chance to live a longer life span. The Salk vaccine has almost eliminated our respo breed of polio. That leaves thousands of us in this country who are seriously affected by lack of public interest, no established national agency aid and limited future rehabilitation.

This information is for the TJG staff only. Your names are needed only as contest entrants. Be honest! Straight facts are necessary to get a true picture. Maybe some of our equipment isn't really functional or practical. If you don't use all your adapted equipment, have a breathing phobia, or never sit, say so.

We are no longer national news, but we are an island of people, totally dependent on others and each other. Think how much we could accomplish with information on this census form to act as a guide post to what YOU NEED. Together, armed with facts, we can discover what our basic needs are, both now and in the future. Your newspaper articles and pictures also add to our information. Send them! There will probably be no other accumulation of facts about respos as comprehensive as ours. Rally, 'round the census, respos! We need each other. This could be our stop gap to isolation.