10/20/2026
Did polio touch your family???
Imagine standing beside an iron lung, knowing it was helping keep your child alive. For families affected by polio, that was reality.
Polio could cause permanent paralysis and disable the muscles needed to breathe. An iron lung enclosed the patient’s body, changing air pressure to help move air into and out of the lungs. It wasn’t a cure—it was lifesaving breathing support. Some people needed it for weeks; others depended on it for decades.
This history hits close to home in Texas. Dallas resident Paul Alexander contracted polio at age six in 1952. Despite paralysis, he earned a law degree and became an author. He continued using an iron lung until his death in 2024.
In 1988, polio paralyzed an estimated 350,000 people worldwide in a single year. Vaccines and a determined international effort changed that. Rotary became a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative that year, helping reduce cases worldwide by 99.9%. But the work isn’t finished.
Come see this history for yourself in Marshall.
Join our Rotary Club on Thursday, October 22, at 6:00 PM at Rueggenbach Brewing, 108 W. Houston Street. We’ll have a vintage iron lung on site, along with co****le and fellowship, as we recognize World Polio Day on October 24.
Bring your family and friends—everyone is welcome!
As a Rotarian, I want future generations to learn about polio through history books, never personal experience.
Did polio touch your family? I’d welcome your memories in the comments.
