POST-POLIO SUPPORT
on the
Alabama-Florida-Mississippi Gulf Coast

     The New Year for Mobile Area Post-Polio survivors was off to a great beginning with twenty people in attendance for the January 27th meeting. We enjoyed meeting, greeting and having bits of our life story recorded. Victoria Glass, a high school student, had previously interviewed survivors both in Pensacola and Mobile. She presented the group with a CD of her project ““Triumph and Tragedy! The Battle Against Polio” ” which will be shown at the February meeting. We were eager to know how Victoria chose polio as the subject of her project. She told us she had been discussing the assignment with her parents when her Dad mentioned he had recently seen a documentary on polio and thought that might be an interesting subject. We are amazed and thrilled with the extensive research Victoria has put into the project and highly impressed that she plans to again use the topic in obtaining Scouting badges.

     Larry Ready, complimented Victoria for her part in spreading the word of the need for world wide polio vaccination as we are “only a plane trip away from an epidemic.”

     Sylvia Bern, facilitator, and Mary Ellen Blankenship expressed concern for Dorcas Howard who has been have difficulties beyond post-polio syndrome.

     Bennie and Eloise Steele reported that they had represented us at the memorial service for Chuck Page. A video, much the same as that done for Iris, was shown at the service.

     Sylvia Bern told of being highly impressed with a TV special of Meredith Vieira’s struggles with health and other issues surrounding victims of Multiple Sclerosis. Meredith's husband, Cohen, is legally blind and the disease has also attacked his vocal cords, arms and legs. Charles Gollott said Cohen has written a book, “Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir.”

     Cindy Thompson, Goodwill Easter Seal, presented the dates available for Camp ASCCA. May 4-6, 2007 was selected. Deadline for registration is March 15th. To obtain an application phone Vera Moore in Mobile at 251-639-2189 or Clara Norsworthy in Pensacola at 850-944-5834.

     We had a very good turn out for the January meeting. 

     We had a great speaker, Victoria Glass and her mother Trish. She is a 9th grader who has chosen Polio as her subject for a history project.  She met with many of us in Pensacola to get a background for the disease.  She probably got more than she bargained for.  She created a DVD with the interviews and wants to distribute it to doctors offices and libraries.  She came in 3rd for the history project but came in 1rst for us.  Victoria will be at our next meeting and wants to conduct a group interview for a further DVD.  Please try to make it to our February meeting to participate in Victoria’s project. 

     We welcomed two new people come to our meeting and to our group.  We went over our usual problems and Clara said to please remember Pat Kaderly and Jim Hazuga in our prayers.  They both are dealing with recovery with  polio complications.  

     We hope to see lots of people at our February group.  Stay warm!

Attendance January 2007
Jane Clark ~ Leigh Dethlefs ~ Trish Glass ~ Vicoria Glass ~ Theresa Inge ~ Cliff Martin ~ Kay Martin ~ Dee Miller ~ Jim Neil ~ Shirly Neil ~ George Norsworhy ~ Clara Norsworthy ~ Denise Phillips ~ Mary Warneck ~ Bill Way ~ Sally Way

Camp ASCCA Dates 2007 - May 4-6

Deadline for registration is March 15th.
To obtain an application, phone Vera Moore in Mobile at 251-639-2189 or Clara Norsworthy in Pensacola at 850-944-5834.