Polio Awareness Day Orange County California

Polio Awareness Day Buena Park Rotary District 5320 (Orange So LA County) California.
Our clubs Polio Awareness Luncheon was held on Wed October 20th. The City Council attended the meeting and announced Oct 24th to be International Polio Awareness Day.

Polio Survivor Rick Kneeshaw was our special speaker this week. Mr. Kneeshaw spoke about Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), a condition that can strike former polio victims decades after they have recovered from the initial polio disease.
Those present at the meeting really appreciated the concise and understandable report given by Mr. Kneeshaw. There attendees included Club Members, Elected Officials High School Interactors and Interactor advisors, Rotary District Leaders, and Interested Citizens. In the group were Polio Survivor.

Buena Park Mayor Art Brown was one of several dignitaries on hand to present a certificate honoring Rotary’s work to eradicate polio and in acknowledgement of

“Polio Awareness Day” is October 24th.

Also, on hand with acknowledgements were Ed Royce, Sr. representing his son Congressman Ed Royce, Sam Han from Supervisor Shawn Nelson’s office., Accepting the Certificates were Rotary District 5320 Governor-Elect Greg Owens, and BP Rotary President Christianne Salts. Rotary International has lead the way in the effort to eradicate Polio worldwide. There are now only four countries with endemic polio, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria. As Rotary’s “Polio Plus” efforts have nearly eradicated the dreaded polio disease worldwide, there is work to do now for those who survived the disease but are now experiencing PPS. This makes eradicating polio even more an important priority.

Rick told the Rotary audience, very little is known about post-polio syndrome, or PPS. The condition seems to emerge 30 to 40 years after the original infection and the working hypothesis is that years of overcompensation takes its toll, that surviving, functional, motor neurons and muscles are overworked and simply begin to wear out and shut down. A better understanding of PPS could improve treatments and ease the burden upon survivors around the world. It might also fill in knowledge gaps about the basic biology and pathology of the human body, providing information that’s relevant to other neurological diseases and other biological systems. Tax Deductible Donations can be made by making your check out to Rotary Foundation, with a note or memo saying for “End Polio Now.” Mail the check to Buena Park Rotary Club at: PO Box 5243 Buena Park, CA 90622-5243