Life in an Iron Lung - Libby, Montana

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LibbyMt.com > News > November 2008 > Life in an Iron Lung

Iron Lung Linda Gerard and Peggy Dolezal talk about what life in an iron lung must have been like.

George rings the bell George Gerard rings bell.

Life in an Iron Lung
Rotary fight against Polio
by Duane Williams, Libby Rotary Club
November 13, 2008
This iron lung that was on display at Rosauers over the weekend. The local Libby Rotary Club raised $900 in the two days with the community's generous help to combat polio worldwide. This iron lung was found by Rotary in a museum in Miles City. It is travelling the state as part of Rotary's fund raising drive.

Polio (Poliomyelitis), often called infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease which can be spread from person to person. Although around 90% of polio infections cause no symptoms at all, the 1% of cases that enter in the central nervous system can infect and destroy motor neurons, leading to paralysis. Spinal polio, the most common form, most ofen involves paralysis of the legs. The disease was first recognized in 1840 with the polio virus indentified in 1908. Epidemics have crippled thousands of people, mostly young children. A polio vaccine was discovered in 1952, greatly reducing the number of incidents. However, the disease still exists in places.. Groups like Rotary International, the World Health Organization and UNICEF are working to with enhanced vaccination efforts with the hopes of seeing global eradication of the disease.

Photos courtesy Duane Williams, Libby Rotary Club

LibbyMt.com > News > November 2008 > Life in an Iron Lung

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