Although I have no immediate connection to anyone who has suffered or continues to suffer from Polio, I still feel strongly that it is a cause of great importance. It is a disease which can be killed off completely; meaning no one will ever suffer from it again. There are many people still living with Polio today in the United States.
If you're within 10 years of my age and reading this, you definitely had a vaccination as a child. The problem is that not all countries are giving out the vaccine. Iran is a big problem right now, as its people suffer in many ways; one of them being lack of proper vaccinations. Even with Rotary offering to do the vaccination themselves, Iran has not allowed it. Other countries have citizens who are suffering from Polio as well.
In 2007, Bill Gates made a pledge to donate 355 million dollars if Rotary could collect 200 million in donations by 2012. Here's the great news: Rotary is over halfway toward reaching that goal in less than half the time. Amazing!
I'm not the sort of person to sell someone something they don't want. I'm not going to do that with this cause either. You either believe in it, or you don't. Even if you don't want to donate, or already have, I know there is someone you know that hasn't heard about this. I know that when we have eradicated Polio, I will be proud to say that I had a part in it.
http://www.rotary.org/en/endpolio/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My grandmother from Alabama suffered from polio. She contracted it during the Great Depression. She was lucky to survive, but the polio left her paralyzed from the waist down. My grandfather James was a great man and loved her very much. The doctors told her that she would never walk again, yet she was resolute on overcoming polio. With many months of prayers and training herself how to move her legs she began walking again. This miracle truly astonished the doctors. I believe that it was part miracle and part stubbornness that helped my grandmother walk again. Polio is a tough illness to cope with and the sooner we can immunize people from it the better. Looks like you are doing well on your journey, enjoy and stay safe. Gloria
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you wrote this. I have already encountered negativity when I tell people about what you are doing. People don't really know that polio is still a problem. This will help me to counter their comments without saying anything at all. Thanks!
ReplyDelete