When we united to fight a virus

While growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the '50s, I and virtually everyone participated in the March of Dimes to help fund the polio treatment and vaccine research. We all knew a fellow student or grown-up that experienced this crippling virus.

My father at work, teachers and businesses passed out folders for 10 dimes that we kids filled with candy money and adults from loose change. Doctor Jonas Salk injected himself with the virus in the process of developing the successful vaccine, which was a risky sacrifice, but we felt in a smaller way we had done out part.

When the vaccine was approved, we all got our shots and soon polio was history, with two generations in-between now and then not knowing much about polio.

I do not know how much of the funding was generated, but feel that the support generated by the March of Dimes did play an important part.

As we enter out third year with this worldwide virus, it seems like it could also have been history with a more inclusive unifying approach.

Mike Krauss

Wayne