Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dr Jonas Salk and Polio-The Impossible Cured

Polio is still present in the world, as a horrible viral infection, that can lead to paralysis, and in some cases death. In most countries, it has been completely eradicated, due to the work of Dr. Jonas Salk. It has been around for centuries, yet appears to have been a major concern from the 1800's, and wreaked havoc in the 1950's. My own grandmother had polio, and while she recovered from it, had several health effects for years after contracting this disease. It was thought to be "impossible" to find a cure for this, and many tried and failed to come up with a cure for it. However, researcher Dr. Salk made the "impossible possible." He was able to create a vaccine, that prevented it from attacking your body, and we should all be thankful for his dedication.

All of the critics, the naysayers, were proven wrong that it would never be stopped. It was, and much like other diseases, it has been eliminated as a cause of suffering and premature death. So what does this have to do with seizures? A lot actually. While they are two different ailments, Dr. Salk found a cure for what was supposedly "not going to happen." Right now researchers at places like the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and others are working around the clock, as while we should be thankful for medications and surgical procedures, it is simply unacceptable for a young person with seizures to be put into induced comas to stop seizures. It is unacceptable for a young boy or girl, as each human life is precious but especially a child's, to be ended so soon by these abnormal signals to the brain.

Recently, there has been a lot of good news on this front. While a cure hasn't happened yet, it is in the realm of possibilities. The last twenty years of medical research, have led to breathtaking improvements, that also are possible due to advancements in technology. Awareness has played a huge part as well, because people are realizing the seriousness of what seizures can do to a child or an adult. That is why I have hope, because of people like Dr. Salk and researchers today, and what they are doing to make what was impossible much more likely. We must remember the fallen, those who have gone to God far too early from seizures. They must be in our hearts, and a reminder that we cannot ever give up, until a cure is achieved. Godspeed to those working on this right now, because while your coffee cups are constantly being filled, it is through your dedication that these seizures will be destroyed, and what will be left is peace for so many, and those who love someone who has this condition.

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