Regina Rotaract Club Celebrates World Polio Day; Raises over $3,000
Posted by John Borst
on Oct 25, 2011
On Sunday, October 23 the Rotaract Club of Regina Auxilium hosted their 2nd Annual Polio Awareness Supper event with over 120 family and friends in attendance including members of the five Rotary Clubs in Regina. The event featured a ham and potatoes scallop meal prepared by the Rotaractors and served by member of the Interact Club from O’Neil High School. The event raised over $3,000 from ticket sales, 50/50, and a raffle to support the Rotary End Polio campaign. 
The guest speaker was Dr. Mavis Matheson. At the age of 1½ she was one of the 1205 reported cases of polio in Saskatchewan in 1952. The same year Saskatchewan reported 90 deaths from polio. Mavis recovered and went on to become a medical doctor. However, in the 1990’s ago she began to experience signs of Post Polio Syndrome. She has since lost her mobility and has had to close her medical practice but she still strives to enjoy life.Dr. Matheson described Post-polio syndrome (PPS) as a condition that affects polio survivors years after recovery from an initial acute attack of the poliomyelitis virus.
She also talked about how the lyrics of a song “Helpless” by Neil Young reflected her own experience in living with Polio. The song was inspired by Neil’s own childhood experience with polio. The lyrics reflect the sense of loneliness and isolation.
Matheson said, “When you are lying in bed with paralysis a window was often your only connection to the outside world. Helpless is how it feels to be paralysed.”
In closing she added, “No one else will have to be helpless any more if we can eradicate polio once and for all.”