A Name Coining the Great Depression
The name "Katherine McIntosh" is well-known in the US because it is the name that is synonymous with the plight of the poor during the Great Depression. Her claim to fame was being the four year old pictured clinging to mum whose disenchanted look spoke unashamedly of the woes faced by so many during the terrible economic times of the 1930s. It encapsulated the soul of a nation in desperation.
Ironically, fast-forward to 2010 and head on down to Australia and the same name captures the same sorrowful "now what" look for another dreadful plight. The plight of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). Like the Great Depression, CFS also leaves its desperate victims with the never-ending drudgery of surviving another day. But, unlike the Great Depression, it cannot be explained only endured until such drudgery either strengthens the individual's will to fight on or it destroys it for lack of hope.
Fight to Live or Wait to Die
For Australia's Katherine McIntosh, this point of fight to live or wait to die has been reached and is now the biggest challenge of her life. After having been diagnosed with CFS some eight years ago she has since also developed sensitivity to chemicals which endanger her life on a daily basis. It is for this reason that today she finds herself effectively homeless. For her, everyday domestic chemicals used in the average suburban home causes difficulties in breathing.
Her story encapsulates the plight of many CFS sufferers worldwide whose voice is never heard. Yet, their silent scream is the loudest such as that of UK's Gordon McHendry. A former paratrooper who became ill with CFS only to then suffer from chemical sensitivity. He not only became bed-bound but was forced to live in a shed for 2,100 nights during a six year period.
History-Making Story
Finally, the story of McIntosh's plight with CFS and its complications has received some prominence after it made history. It was the first Australian story to be funded completely by members of the public as part of Melbourne-based Swinburne University's experiment in social media dubbed, "YouCommNews". This site is the world's second to foster public interest journalism in the footsteps of the US-site, "Spot.Us".
