Polio - The Late Effects Reality

FOREWORD

The Post Polio Support Group celebrated its 10th birthday in 2003. So, it seemed appropriate, when we were planning the celebrations the previous year, to commission a survey to see both what had happened over the past decade as well looking at our members' specific needs past, present and future.

We did not realise at the time the enormity of the task we were undertaking. In reply to our invitation to participate in the survey we had a final take up rate of over 50%, which, in anybody’s language, is magnificent, especially when the detail of information is realised. Some of it was extremely intimate and detailed.

The only criteria that we had were that the respondents had to be within the Republic of Ireland and to have had paralytic Polio at some time during their lives. Age, sex, occupation had no bearing as Polio struck at all members of the community. In the "good old days" it was a disease which marked an emerging and changing society where the "public infra hygiene structure" in Ireland was nowhere as developed as today.

I wish to thank all those who took part, the participants and those who worked on the project, for the way they gave their time so generously. Also, I wish to thank the Occupational Therapists who undertook the interviews, often going far beyond the call of duty to give help and advice to our members. Finally, I want to acknowledge John McFarlane, the author, for his towering work in compiling and writing this report.

I hope that the recommendations that come from this report will help not just our members, but all those who know of someone who had Polio in the past. There are also lessons here which we as a nation have a moral responsibility to make known on the international stage and in so doing assist the world-wide population of people with Polio and the Late Effects of Polio.

Jim Costello Post Polio Support Group Chairperson, September 2003