A TRIBUTE TO JULIA KENDALL 1935 - 1997

I'm sorry if this post is overlong and overly depressing, but I have a major need to vent right now.

I am sitting here numb about Julia Kendall's death. My friend Jan and I went to the hospital as soon as we got into town friday evening. It was obvious how serious the situation was, so we stayed. We were there in the room until just before she died.

Linda has previously written that, three weeks ago, Julia >>>>>>> was very concerned that her white count was extremely high, but was smiling and laughing, and the only concession she made to her condition was that she asked me to drive a friend to an appointment that she ordinarily would have drven him to because she did not want to be exposed to the air in the city, and in the doctor's office.<<<<<<<< I know, because so many of us got desperate calls from her loved ones, that during the last few days many of her friends and family, even her doctor, urged her to seek treatment. But she refused, on the quite rational grounds the inevitable exposurers involved in any aggressive treatment could kill her as easily as the leukemia. When they finally got her to the hospital, the staff said she had the highest white count they'd ever SEEN.

Somehow, sitting there at UCSF, one of the "premier" hospitals around here, watching batches of scented techs work on her and throw up their hands in baffeled dismay when her blood pressure began to drop, just made my stomach turn. In don't know all the details of how this finally fatal flareup of her leukemia occured - the docs in the icu seemed to think she was also septicemic from a lung infection, and she apparently had also recently had a major exposure from cleaning products (used by neighbors) that seemed to accelerate things. But it was hard to avoid the impression that part of what was killing her - what can kill all of us - was lack of acces to medical care that could both treat a major "mainstream" medical problem - in her case leukemia -AND respect how mcs complicates that process.

No one, faced with a life threatening situation, as Julia was last week and maybe for weeks before, should be faced with worrying that the ride down in a mold filled elevator (like the one in her building), the ignorance of emergency and hospital personel, and possible misdiagnosis based on misinterpreted mcs symptoms, could be as life threatening as whatever the accute problem is. Hearing the ongoing reports as it happened to her was appaling and very depressing. Watching the ignorance at the end was downright nauseating.

Linda also said
>>>>>>>>>I think that the greatest tribute we can give her is to energetically carry on her work - much of which focused on making people aware of the toxicity of fragranced products. She had also recently started to take on the evils of the Worker's Compensation system. Please, let's all try to carry on this work - she got us off to a great start, and I know she will be watching over us. <<<<<<<<

AMEN Linda.

The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to Sandy - I think it's Shaw, but I'm not sure - at Healthy Habitat, Inc, who is a local person working, amoung other things, on trying to raise mcs awareness at local hospitals. (The email address is healthhab@igc.apc.org - I'll post the regular mailing address and phone number when I get them). Right now I feel like, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd give them the biggest chunk, I'm so upset about this.

One final note - a friend asked me earlier today if I would find the "intro" note that Julia posted shortly after subscribing to mcs-ci. I did find it- I think it speaks more eloquently than I ever could of what she accomplished - despite the limitations of a life threatening condition - and what she believed. She would NEVER want her death - or anyone's- to discourage people from fighting on. Because, at base, she really and truely and emphatically believed that these battles are ultimately WINABLE.

-Connie

Subj: MCS-CI Junk Journalism Sponsors
Date: 08 Jan 1997 (Wed) 12:45 PM PDT
From: kendallj@worldnet.att.net
Reply-to: kendallj@worldnet.att.net
To: MCS-CI@mail1.bellglobal.com

I called> > > Ponds, Mentadent, Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion
> > >
> > > Chesebrough-Ponds
> > > Greenwich, CT 06830
> > > 1-800-743-8640

Thanks to Javlik (?) for the 800#. I was the first caller re the co's sponsorship of Junk Journalism. My name,address and message were taken by a real person. I was assured the message would be logged.

I looooove 800# guerrilla publicity campaigns. Barb Wilkie and I have started a column in the Environmental Health Network's newsletter, "The New Reactor" listing one 800# per issue, asking all subscribers to call. I believe this tactic could be quite successful with resort 800#'s, for example, asking re pesticide and fragrance/toxic product use. When I called resorts in the Cayman Islands, I was told pesticides are sprayed weekly from both trucks and planes!

I'd be willing to post a daily or weekly 800# on this list, if there is support for that. We won't be effective until we can get thousands of people to join us in calling the same number. However, the California Dept. of Health Services found in a random telephone survey of 100 released in 1995 that 20% of the respondents were chemically sensitive to pesticides and other chemical products, and 10% had been diagnosed with MCS by a physician. A follow-up survey of 4000 to be released this month found over 6% had been diagnosed with MCS....even using that low number to extrapolate, that's almost 2,000,000 people in California alone!

My background includes political/grassroots organizing. I've worked as a professional publicist. I am co-founder and chair of Citizens for a Toxic Free Marin, and one of the founders of the Chemical Injury Litigation Project. I am committed to combining litigation and publicity to change public policy on issues that affect health and the environment. Removing chemical barriers in insitutions covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act was a concept I publicized by demanding fragrance free access in Marin County with signs, demonstrations, and media coverage. I also sued Neiman-Marcus in Small Claims Court for continuing to pollute my mail with fragrance strips. I sued American Airlines for spraying pesticide on me during a flight to St. Maarten, Dutch West Indies.

It was no accident the publicity gained international attention on each of those campaigns, generating hundreds of articles as well as dozens of TV and radio interviews. In 1994 I organized a San Francisco demonstration of MCS activists protesting a fragrance industry conference at the Fairmont Hotel. We were covered by all the local stations, and 20/20 and CNN. I hope to put video clips, articles, and the info I've collected and organized on a Web site.

It is possible to get publicity on these issues. My expertise is in creating real news with colorful visuals. Then hope for a slow news day! And, you have to remember not to chat with media reps. I work on sound bites prior to the interviews. I only answer their questions when it suits my strategy; I say only what I want to read or hear. We have to learn to use the media to our advantage. We have no other way to reach the public. The chemical industry has billions to spend on false advertising and planting "news" items, and obviously paying Stossel, who, by the way, showed up at Ecology House, low cost, subsidized housing, for the disabled, in a stretch limosene, hidden behind dark windows and dark sunglasses, to verbally abuse the residents. If Stossel had wanted an accurate, honest report, he had the scientic data. I gave it to him along with names and phone numbers of respected physicians and scientists. He chose to ignore the truth. There are honest journalists. I've worked with quite a few. Stossel has chosen to sell his credentials to the highest bidder, the Chemical Manufacturer's Association.

Together, we can prevail. These polluting industries are vulnerable. If the public stops buying the products, and stocks, they're out of business. And so it is!

- Julia Kendall

The following is a story Dorothy R. submitted to the Marin Independent

Newspaper about Julia Kendall's life:

Marin political organizer and anti-pesticide advocate, Julia Kendall, passed away on July 12 of complications from leukemia.

She came to Marin in 1971 from Texas and Louisiana, where she was active in the Republican Party and was honored in 1963 as the Outstanding Young Republican Woman in the Nation. Inspired by Robert Kennedy she became a Democrat in the late sixties. She was a member of the California Democratic Central Committee in 1984, and an active member of the Hazardous Waste Sub-committee of the California State Air Resources Board.

She worked for many liberal causes in Marin, including the Rainbow Coalition, the Nuclear Free Zone campaigns and Central American refugee sponsorship programs. As a resident of San Anselmo, she led a successful drive to save the Robson-Harrington estate from development, which resulted in its becoming a popular park and conference center.

Injured by the pesticide, malathion, during the 1988-89 Medfly eradication program, she refocused her activism on the effects of toxic chemicals on human health. She was the chair of Citizens for a Toxic Free Marin and one of the founders of the Chemical Injury Litigation Project. She was committed to combining litigation and publicity to change public policy on issues that affect health and the environment.

In 1994 she lead a campaign against American Airlines to halt the unannounced spraying of pesticides on passengers, which generated international publicity and led to the end of the practice in several countries. She organized demonstrations, phone-in campaigns, publicity and lawsuits against corporate manufacturers of toxic products. She firmly believed that those industries are vulnerable; that if the public stops buying their products and stocks, they will clean up their products or go out of business.

Her spirited and optimistic activism will be missed by people all over the country who turned to her for help with issues surrounding toxic exposure and environmental illness. She was a tireless researcher in the field of chemical injury litigation and shared her wealth of knowledge and extensive database with anyone who asked. She will be remembered for her compassionate and generous nature, as much as for her uncompromising activism for a safer environment.

The funeral and burial will be in Overton, Texas. In the Bay Area, a memorial celebrating her life and work will be held at Point Reyes' North Beach on July 20 at 1pm. Donations may be sent to Health and Habitat, a nonprofit organization to promote healthy housing. (Sandy Ross, Director, 383-5343)

She is survived by her son, Spencer Kendall Lynn, her sister, Cynthia Kendall, her mother, May Kendall, and her life partner, Rudi Zubere.

Memorial donations are requested to be directed to:

Health and Habitat

President Sandy Ross

76 Lee Street
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Office phone # 415-383-6130, 10-4 PT, M-F
OR healthhab@igc.apc.org
(501c3 nonprofit organization, donations deductible, and a committee is being formed to decide what Julia would have wanted to do with the donations)

Julia's family will be having a memorial service at her favorite beach in Point Reyes, CA. The beach is called North Beach and they will post signs leading the way. (the beach is to the left after Inverness drive. Watch for the signs) Also, anyone wishing to say a few words is welcome.

-Ruth

(NOTE: I am sending copies of all your lovely messages to Rudy and Cynthia and Spencer. They are thankful people are reaching out, and appreciate your taking the time to write your comments about Julia. They are curious about where the notes are coming from, so maybe you could let me know so I can pass that on, as well.

THANKS.

RDFont@aol.com

Hi, Everyone - I've put up a memorial page for Julia Kendall at my web site. I've also reworked my perfume page into the 3 separate articles, so those of you who wanted to print just one article can now do so more easily.

You can get to Julia's page from my main page at:
http://www.supernet.net/~jackibar/
There is a "special notice" towards the top of the page that will get you to the memorial page.

Love, Jacki
--

E-mail: jackibar@supernet.net
Web Site: http://www.supernet.net/~jackibar/

Contains info about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the health risks of perFUME, fabric softeners, & air fresheners ("air poisoners"!), "Guidelines for Non-Toxic Living", etc.

http://users.lanminds.com/~wilworks/ehnhompg/kendall.htm