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Guest Speaker Report Wednesday 1 December 2010 by Rotarian Ian Johnson (reporter)
Our guest speaker was Ramesh Ferris who spoke to us about “Cycle to Walk”. Ramesh was introduced by PP Doug Potter. Ramesh is a polio survivor and has spoken at the Montreal RI Convention and at the UN. We were very fortunate to have Ramesh as a guest speaker. Ramesh commenced by reminding us that there was a time when communities throughout the world lived in fear of being infected by the polio virus. Public pools, parks and schools were often closed down due to the fear of infection. People who caught polio and survived often needed leg braces and to use an iron lung to assist with breathing. On 12 April 1955 Dr Jonas Sulk’s polio vaccine was first used. His birth date being 24 October is the date on which World Polio Day is celebrated. Ramesh was born in India in 1980 and was infected by the polio virus at the age of six months. His legs were paralysed for life. His mother placed him for adoption to give him a chance at a better life. Ramesh was adopted by a family from the Yukon in Canada. The family had to battle the government of the day who determined to deny access on the basis that Ramesh’s condition would lead to an excessive demand on health and social services. Ramesh had corrective surgery at the Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital and received rehabilitation support. He is now able to get around using one leg brace and one crutch. After completing school Ramesh obtained a diploma in social work. At the age of 22 Ramesh returned to India to meet his birth mother and to visit the orphanage where he had been placed as a young child. He saw what his life might have been. He saw polio victims who had no access to surgery and services getting around with bits of old tyres on their knees and sandals on their hands. Ramesh resolved to do all he could to help. Ramesh was aware of the Rotary Polio Plus Program and the great work it was doing in vaccinating children in affected countries around the world. Ramesh decided he would hand-cycle across Canada with the slogan “Cycle to Walk” to raise funds for polio eradication, education and rehabilitation and to raise public awareness. Ramesh cycled 7,140 Kilometres and raised $300,000. Ramesh stresses that we should not become complacent and that we must continue in our efforts diligently until the world is officially declared to be polio free. In conclusion Ramesh advised us that he plans to do a “Cycle to Walk” ride in Australia in 2012 with the same aims as his Canadian ride. Ramesh has recently published a book titled “Better than a Cure: One Man’s Journey to Free the World of Polio”(which is available on amazon.com). Ramesh was thanked by PP Peter Foss.
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