Former mayor and NDP provincial politician Glenn Hagel and his 16-year-old dog Marco will be walking every day until Family Day to bring awareness to the possibility of ending polio this year.
“In 2021, the number of new polio cases (around the world) was down to five,” Hagel told MooseJawToday.com. “So, there are many, many people around the world, including Rotary Clubs around the world, who are praying that 2022 will be the first year that we’ll achieve having zero new polio cases.”
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a viral disease occurring naturally only in humans. It is ancient, stretching all the way back to pre-history. Most people who contract the disease will be asymptomatic – but can spread the disease to others for up to six weeks. About 25 per cent of individuals infected with poliovirus will have cold- or flu-like symptoms.
However, approximately one per cent of poliovirus infections will enter the central nervous system – and can wreak havoc there. One to five cases in 1,000 will result in some form of paralysis. This can take the form of permanent muscle weakness, limb atrophy, and even damage to the nerves responsible for breathing.
Because polio is incredibly infectious, the disease can spread to almost everyone in a given population. In the 20th century, polio epidemics became common, killing or paralyzing over half a million people every year. In addition, post-polio syndrome can occur 15 to 30 years after initial infection, causing muscle weakness and debilitating fatigue for which there no cure.
The Rotary Club, Hagel said, was a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. They have been working to eradicate the disease for over 35 years – and the initiative is succeeding.
However, the Rotary International website notes that maintaining momentum is critical. If all efforts at eradication stopped today, the disease could easily make a comeback. Within 10 years, it could potentially be paralyzing 200,000 children a year.
What’s really exciting about donating to the cause, Hagel said, is that “quite some years ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation made a commitment to Rotary that for every dollar Rotary raised, they would match it with two. So any dollar donated for polio turns into $3.”
Hagel and Marco – whom Hagel credits as being the actual leader of their team – have been walking on Thatcher most often. The city keeps it clean and widened, he said, so there’s enough room for everyone to walk comfortably without facemasks.
“So if you’d like to make a donation, you need to make it out to Rotary Foundation of Canada,” Hagel explained. “And the Canada part is important, because if you don’t have the Canada part, you won’t get the Canadian tax credit.” All donations over $20 qualify for the tax credit, and are equivalent to $60 thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Donations by cheque can be mailed to:
Wakamow Rotary
Box 2141
Moose Jaw, SK
S6H 7T2
“And the important information that the donation needs to have with it,” Hagel adds, “is name, address, phone number, and then email. Because Rotary sends the tax receipts by email.
“For anybody here who’s donating, it’s a beautiful time because this could be the year that the world sees the end of polio.”
Donations can also be made at www.endpolio.org/donate.
