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Why We Need You
Do you ever wonder if what we do really makes a difference? The answer is a resounding Yes! History shares countless stories of what one person can do. What One Person Can Do Florence Nightingale was the daughter of wealthy British parents. Her childhood was spent on the family estates in England where she was taught social graces, languages, history, and philosophy. At the age of 16, Florence felt impressed that she had a special mission in life. As she had always enjoyed helping the young and the sick, Florence felt her life's mission would have something to do with caring for others. Slowly, as Florence came to realize what her life's work should be, she spent much of her time studying health and reforms for the poor and suffering. This was unheard-of behavior for a wealthy girl. The nursing profession was regarded as filthy, low class work. Hospitals were places of disease and despair where patients went to die, not to regain their health. Nevertheless Florence was determined and entered a Protestant school for training nurses in Germany and later studied in Paris . At age 33 she became superintendent of a women's hospital in London . In 1854, Great Britain and France went to war with Russia . The troops were sent to the Crimea to battle without enough supplies, to die under terrible conditions. The secretary of war asked Florence Nightingale to take charge of nursing. She sailed for Crimea with 38 nurses to face a job that seemed impossible. As Florence and her nurses stepped onto the muddy shore, a band of wounded soldiers had just arrived from a battle where about 250 cavalrymen had been killed or wounded in jut 20 minutes. The hospital was rat-infested, dirty, and poorly furnished. Many of the wounded lay on floors, bleeding and uncared-for. There were not enough beds, bandages, or sanitation supplies. Florence faced the insurmountable task before her with determination. She found a few men well enough to help and put then to work cleaning up. She set up a nursing schedule for care, kitchen work, and diets. At night her lamp burned as she walked the 4 miles of corridors or wrote countless report and letters demanding supplies from British officials. At first, doctors and official resented Florence and regarded her as a dictator, for she stood for no delays or slipshod ways. But soon her effectiveness was impossible to deny. Nightingale's success became so widely known that she was given charge of all the army hospitals in the Crimea . By the end of the war she had saved many lives and had brought about worldwide reforms in hospital administration and nursing. Ministers, heads of government, authors, reformers, and politicians came to ask her advice. Florence Nightingale became a world authority on the care of the sick. Each of us have something profound and unique to give! You can make a difference. 
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