April 2020

Our Mission:

To Be in Service Providing Information to Polio Survivors, Post Polio Support Groups,

Survivor's Families and their Caregivers.

Last month (has it only been a month?) we introduced the new section of

our website: Putting the Pieces of Polio History Together. Little did we all know, that one month later the realities of the polio virus would tie us

together in a bond that perhaps has even stronger historical ties.

We have been fascinated and warmed by the questions, honesty and conversation that has

come our way from all over the US and abroad about the memories and fears that are

re-emerging among us as a result of this worldwide pandemic.

As a result, we have brought together the International Center for Polio Education and

Post-Polio Health International to address those fears and concerns.

COVID-19 and Polio - they are both viruses. Two physicians from UCLA Health will explain

(in language we can all understand) what a virus is.

Memories abound right now in our post-polio world. Some memories have brought back

pain and fear. For a lot of us, it’s brought back a newly discovered appreciation for what our

parents went through in a world of quarantine and the unknown. A world without the

technology we have today. One survivor has shared his moving story. For athletes of all types

and all of those from the Philadelphia area, Harry Donohue’s story and background will bring a

respite from the stressful environment we all share today.

Our PA Network Team has stayed “socially distant” and yet very active over the last month.

We are looking forward to bringing you a series of interviews and stories about our work, as we

bring the “Polio Truths”, which include conversation about the Late Effects of Polio, Polio

History and the need to vaccinate our children, front and center.

With gratitude to our volunteer graphic artist, Aaron To, you will start

to see our new “look” presented in logos and images. We’ve had a

wonderful journey working with Rotary International as we’ve been

“Working Together” to serve children and bring forward the focus on

Disease Prevention.

Denise Yarrington is at the forefront of our being able to now have our

4+ year inventory of newsletters available. While quarantined with and homeschooling three

active children, she has created our PPSN Newsletter Index. In addition, she regularly updates

the Index for the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS. This very effective search option is the same

for them both.

Stay well, and we quote the now famous line:

“We’re all in this together”

PA Polio Survivors NetworkInformation and Inspiration

for All Polio Survivors and Their Families

Serving the Keystone State and Beyond

www.papolionetwork.org

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Polio Survivors

Everyone seems to be talking about, worrying about and asking questions about coronavirus, and that includes polio

survivors. As we have seen this is a rapidly evolving situation and what we know today may change next week or next

month. Some facts that are not likely to change are:

• Polio and the late effects of polio do not, in themselves, cause immune compromise. Therefore, polio survivors

are no more likely to contract a coronavirus infection or develop serious illness from it than people who never had

polio!

• Most polio survivors in the United States and Canada are over 60 years old, which places us in the “higher risk”

category with a greater likelihood of developing severe disease after being infected with the virus than younger

people.

• Polio survivors who had breathing muscle involvement with their original illness and/or now have respiratory

problems of any kind are at “high risk” when they become ill with any respiratory infection, including

coronaviruses.

• Just as it is for people who never had polio, if a polio survivor has diabetes, heart disease, severe kidney disease,

or are immunocompromised due to a medical condition or certain medications, then they are at high risk of

developing complications if they contract COVID-19.

What you can do: follow CDC guidelines about infection control—washing hands frequently, disinfecting

frequently touched surfaces, covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding large crowds especially in poorly ventilated areas,

staying home if you are sick and avoiding non-essential trips, such as long airplane rides or embarking on a cruise

ship. If you do develop cough or fever (temperature over 100.4˚F), especially if you have had known contact with

someone who has coronavirus or has recently been in some of the “coronavirus hot spots,” call your doctor for advice

about what to do next. If you have increased trouble breathing, you probably need to be seen by a doctor at a hospital

but have someone call ahead so that the emergency room is prepared for your arrival. Likewise, if an ambulance is

called to transport you please let them know in advance that you may have coronavirus so they can take appropriate

precautions.

For the latest information about the coronavirus, check the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/. If you have any specific health questions about yourself, contact your physician.

For Ventilator Users: From the International Ventilator User’s NetworkAs coronavirus continues to spread around the world, many of our members have reached out to IVUN for

guidance. We realize this may be a worrying time, as many of you are at high risk for serious complications from

COVID-19. Above all, we recommend following the CDC guidelines to limit your exposure to the virus to the greatest

extent possible. The Chest Foundation has published an excellent guide specifically for users of home mechanical

ventilation, "COVID-19 Resources: Care Recommendations for Home-Based Ventilation Patients." It includes advice

on how to limit the spread of infectious particles, care for your ventilator, protect caregivers and family members, and

prevent secondary infections. Most importantly, it offers advice on what to do should you need to go to the hospital,

either for COVID-19 or an unrelated issue. Remember, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Check to make sure

what you're reading come from a reputable source. The CDC website above is a great source of information. Also

check the website of your local health department for helpful information specific to where you live. Some newspapers

such as the New York Times (but also many local papers) have lifted their paywalls for corona virus related articles.

Finally, for any specific concerns or questions you have about your own health, please contact your physician.

Brian Tiburzi Executive Director

Post-Polio Health International including International Ventilator Users Network, St. Louis, Missouri

www.post-polio.org

**Printed with permission from Post-Polio Health (formerly called Polio Network News) with permission of Post-Polio Health

International (www.post-polio.org). Any further reproduction must have permission from copyright holder.

Ask The Doctors: What Are Viruses And How Do They Work?

Q: Everybody is talking about the coronavirus right now, but I still don’t really know what a virus is.

How do they work? Why don’t antibiotics kill them?

A: You’re far from alone in your struggle to understand viruses. They are simultaneously simple and quite

complex, and so small that it wasn’t until the invention of the electron microscope almost 90 years ago

that we were even able to see them.

A virus is neither plant nor animal; it isn’t a bacterium, fungus or one-celled organism; and it can’t live

or reproduce outside of a living host cell. Considering all that, it’s not surprising that the scientific

community continues to debate whether or not viruses are even alive. In fact, it’s almost easier to talk

about what a virus isn’t than to explain what it is. But we’ll do our best.

A single virus particle is known as a virion. It’s a packet of genetic material – either DNA or RNA –

wrapped in a layer of proteins, known as a capsid. In many kinds of viruses, the protein shell is topped by

a layer of lipids, a type of organic compound that’s roughly comparable to fat and is not soluble in water.

Taken together, the protein and lipid structure is known as an envelope.

Viruses are mind-bendingly small. They range from about 20 nanometers to upward of 300

nanometers in size, with many tending toward the lower end of the scale. As a point of reference, there

are 25.4 million nanometers in one inch. Viruses come in a wide range of shapes, including circular,

cylindrical and string like. Some, like the coronavirus, are studded with spikes. These act as docking

devices to attach to host cells and then use their unique chemical composition to penetrate the cell

membranes.

The sole purpose of a virus is to infect another organism – either an animal, plant or bacterium – make

billions of copies of itself and then move on to infect a new host. Small wonder the name for these

infectious agents derives from a Latin word that roughly translates to “poisonous slime.”

To achieve its aim, the virion injects its genetic material into the host cell and hijacks that cell’s internal

machinery. Instead of doing its designated job, the cell now goes to work replicating the virus. Each virion

is so ruthlessly efficient, it can force a cell to make a million copies. The infected cells send out a chemical

distress signal in the form of proteins known as cytokines. They set off the inflammatory reaction that

causes our immune systems to attack, which results in the symptoms we feel when we’re sick, such as

fever, congestion, coughing and sneezing, headache, body aches and gastric distress.

You are correct that antibiotics have no effect on viral illnesses. Antibiotics work by breaching a

bacterium’s cell walls, which viruses

don’t have, or disrupting its

reproduction, which viruses do

differently. Due to antibiotic

resistance, which is now a serious

problem, it’s important not to use

these drugs to fight a viral infection.

Instead, for viruses such as the

flu, your doctor will prescribe an

antiviral, which works by interfering

when the virus tries to force the cell

to make copies of it.

Dr. Eve Glazier, MBA, is an

internist and associate professor of

medicine at UCLA Health.

Dr. Elizabeth Ko is an internist

and assistant professor of medicine

at UCLA Health.

Printed with permission from

“Ask the Doctors”, Los Angeles, CA

Chart and Data: WHO, NIH and NBC3

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There is no question that the biggest obstacle to treating PPS is polio survivors’ fear of change. From our

1995 International Post-Polio Survey we know that polio survivors experienced 34% more physical abuse and

94% more emotional abuse as kids just because they looked disabled. As so many patients have said to me,

“Why would I want to (insert any change in activity or use of any assistive device) look disabled and be

abused and rejected again?”

So, the challenge in managing PPS is dealing with what’s going on from the neck up, more even than the

neck down. After 36+ years and treating thousands of people with disabilities, I've found some tips and

techniques to help patients deal with their powerful feelings that can prevent a physical disability from

becoming an emotional one.

"Irritability Is Not An Emotion." When something life changing happens, like becoming disabled, people

often have trouble knowing what they feel, let alone being able to express their emotions. Sometimes folk

know what they feel but believe they are burdening their families and friends by talking about feelings. But,

strong emotions don't go away or remain hidden. Feelings make themselves known whether or not you're

aware of them or you want them to, often as irritability. If you are irritable -- nasty as a rattlesnake, sniping at

your spouse, and kicking the cat -- there is a powerful emotion inside of you that's trying to get out. Better to

tell someone what you feel, or even say that you don't know what you feel, than to be irritable.

Looking for feelings underneath the irritability and talking about them not only helps you feel better, by bringing

the feelings into the light where you can deal with them, but also helps your family, friends and pets feel less

like they're living near Mount Vesuvius.

"The Stages Have Left Town." Once you get beyond being irritable and know what you're feeling, what do

you do? Do you remember the "stages of acceptance" of dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and

acceptance? These stages have been applied to losses other than dying, including having a disability. The

problem is that there is no sequence of "stages of acceptance" for dying or for disability. People don't neatly

move from denial through to acceptance. Some folk can go from a rehab hospital bed to acceptance, while

others flip from acceptance to denial and can experience everything in between in any order. What's important

is that we’re not forced to fit emotional stages but are free to feel what we feel, when we feel it.

We also shouldn't accept labels for our emotions. Sadness, fear, helplessness and hopelessness are often

all labeled as "depression" by doctors. Too often patients are given an antidepressant and sent on their way.

It’s far better to work with a psychotherapist to deal with your specific feelings than to accept a label, take a pill

and hope the “bad” feelings disappear. Depression is a medical illness and can be treated with

antidepressants. But, when depression is gone, your feelings remain and will still have to be dealt with.

"It is Better to Curse the Darkness Than to Light A Thousand Candles." Back in the early 1970s, future MS'er

Richard Pryor was pilloried for using profanity in his comedy. "Why does he have to use 'four letter words',"

whined mothers across America?

Pryor used "four letter words" because he was describing 300 years of abuse. What was he supposed to say,

"Oh darn, my great-great-grandfather was kidnapped and stuck in the hold of a slave ship and, shoot, he and

his family were forced to pick cotton for generations, and heck, they were beaten and hanged asking for basic

civil rights?"

Darn, shoot, and heck didn't do it for Pryor and they don't do it for most people with disabilities. Having a

disability stinks. If you're lucky, you'll learn from the experience and grow. But, I think people with disabilities,

and especially their shrinks, should acknowledge that disability bites and say so.

I have found that one good “damn” is worth a thousand “darns.” Profanity vividly communicates pain and

sadness while releasing frustration and anger. So, if my patients curse, I curse right along with them. I

sometime curse on my own to make a point or to help break a patient's feelings lose. A well-placed "damn" or

"hell" lets let’s patients know that they that can feel and express anything they feel.

The Encyclopedia of Polio and Post-Polio Sequelae

contains all of Dr. Bruno’s articles, monographs, commentaries and “Bruno Bytes”

www.papolionetwork.org/encyclopedia

The Psychology of Treating PPS

A Bruno ByteFrom Dr. Richard L. Bruno, HD, PhD

Director, International Centre for Polio Education

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COVID "FEAR vs CONTROL COLUMNS"

for POLIO SURVIVORS

From Dr. Richard L. Bruno, HD, PHD

In 1985 we discovered that polio survivors were Super Type A: driven, anxious, controlling

perfectionists. A few years later we discovered why. Having had polio, plus the draconian ways it

was dealt with -- including isolation and quarantine -- were the ideal circumstances to create

anxious and controlling Type A perfectionists.

Today a virus once again has polio survivors isolated and afraid, television and the Internet

continuously providing terrifying but conflicting and uncertain information about the chance of

catching COVID-19 and when the quarantine will be over. How could the repetition of isolation and

helplessness as happened during the polio epidemics not fuel sometimes-overwhelming fear in

polio survivors?

" FEAR vs CONTROL COLUMNS "

With that said, it might help to turn off the TV, take a deep breath and write down “Fear

columns” and “Control columns” listing the reality of your fears and what you already are doing

to take control of your own life . . .

Here is a “Fear Column” example:

List your FEARS and next to them the LIKELIHOOD of each becoming a REALITY:

Fear Reality

Starving to Death Won't Happen

Losing Medicare/Medicaid, SSI/SSDI Won't Happen

Losing Connection with Everyone Highly Unlikely

Not Getting Needed Medication Very Unlikely

Not Getting Needed Medical Attention Unlikely

Broken Assistive Device (e.g., Wheelchair, Bi-Pap) Possible

Unable to Buy Toilet Paper Likely

Any American 65 or older (from CDC*):

Catching COVID .04% Chance

Needing ICU Admission .02% Chance

Here is a “Control Column” example:

List each thing you're doing to TAKE CONTROL and PROTECT YOURSELF and

HOW OFTEN you are doing them:

Control Reality

Self-Distancing 90% of the time

Staying At Home 95% of the time

Washing Hands After Being Outside 100% of the time

Visiting People With COVID symptoms 0% of the time

Watching TV News 80% of the time

Looking at the columns, you can see how unlikely terrible outcomes are, how much you already

are taking control to protect yourself and where you may need to make changes to prepare for

problems (e.g., finding a wheelchair repair person) and take better care of yourself (e.g., turning off

the TV).

On a new piece of paper, list your own FEARS and their LIKELIHOOD and things you are doing

to TAKE CONTROL so fear doesn’t control you. (And turn off the TV news!)

*https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Note: This COVID-19 “FEAR vs Control Columns” article for Polio Survivors is available for download

and sharing in the Articles Section, under Psychology in the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS.

Harry Donahue, A Familiar Voice From Radio,

has a 70-year-old Virus Story To Tell: “The New Polio”

Foreward by: Mike Jensen, Philadelphia Inquirer

“Over the weekend, Harry Donahue sat in his den in Southampton, Bucks County,

‘hunkered down a little bit and hoping for better times.’ Sitting there, the longtime Temple

sports radio play-by-play man thought back to a time when the world frantically searched for

another vaccine, and it didn’t arrive quite in time to help Harry Donahue.

Donahue is not the ‘woe is me’ type. If people ask him about his uneven gait, he usually just

tells them he’d tripped over something the other day. He used to tell the truth, Donahue said,

but he didn’t want people feeling bad, hearing this guy had been stricken with polio when he

was 2 years old, so he found it easier to tell a version of a white lie.

His friends and family knew. What Donahue thought about in his den, this global

coronavirus pandemic spreading -- he wished his own parents were

still alive, so they could tell his nine grandchildren a little about what

it was like to have a 2-year-old with a virus that killed hundreds of

thousands of people, before this man named Jonas Salk developed a

vaccine, available a half-decade after Harry’s diagnosis.

He thinks his parents could calm everybody down a bit, let them

know about the sunny days off in the distance. Donahue has one of

the most familiar voices in this city. He had been KYW Radio’s

morning man for 35 years until his 2014 retirement. He still is the

radio voice of Temple football and basketball, and was put in

Temple’s athletic ring of honor earlier this year.

Thinking about how his own parents handled everything in 1950, Donahue put some words

to paper -- or to a screen -- sending his thoughts to friends.

‘I still have memories of lying in a bed in Philadelphia’s Municipal Hospital," Donahue wrote.

“My parents were allowed brief visitations over the course of the month I was in there. They and

my brother were in semi-quarantine in our home …’ Home was in the Olney section of

Philadelphia. ‘... as I lay in that hospital room with as many as four other children who had

been diagnosed with the virus.’

Let’s stop and imagine the fear Donahue’s parents must have had. Polio was a killer, and

Donahue noted that his later research showed the number of cases in Philadelphia in 1950 was

the highest in history. He noted how the trust they had to place in medical professionals was

immense.

He made it out of the hospital. Two years later, the braces on his legs came off. ‘My parents

never helicoptered me,’ Donahue said over the phone. ‘I think it left an impression. To try

everything you can. Grind it out every day. Don’t fall back on, ‘You know what, I’m a polio

victim, I shouldn’t be expected to do this …’ ‘ Stickball, touch football, basketball -- whatever

the neighborhood kids played, Harry played. ‘They normalized every bit of my life,’ Donahue

said. ‘They refused to overprotect me. They were survivors in every way. Children of the

Depression whose own parents had taken on the loss of jobs and businesses and came out

those tunnels ready for the next challenge.’

And he knew that limp, and surgeries he endured, didn’t compare to the girl three blocks

away, a bit older, sentenced by polio to a wheelchair for her shorter life. Donahue isn’t a “get off

my lawn” type any more than “woe is me.” He just knows his parents hid their scars and their

fears raising him.

That limp? Harry just tripped over something the other day. He’s fine, ready to wait out this

virus, then get back on a golf course, reschedule that trip to Florida he was supposed to take

with friends. Don’t worry about him.”Continued . . .

The New Polio: What Would Mom and Dad Have Done? Harry Donohue www.papolionetwork.org 2020 6

The New Polio: What Would Mom and Dad Have Done?

By Harry Donohue

I wish my parents were alive right now. So that I could hear all about the decisions they

had to make, the fears they experienced and the trust they had in medical professionals when

I was diagnosed at age two, with Poliomyelitis in 1950.

At the time there was no vaccine. The number of cases in Philadelphia that year was the

highest in history. There was no explanation as to why I got it but my older brother did not.

I still have memories of lying in a bed in Philadelphia’s Municipal

Hospital. My parents were allowed brief visitations over the course of the

month I was there. They and my brother were under a semi-quarantine

in our home as I lay in that hospital room with as many as four other

children who had been diagnosed with the virus.

I vividly recall when they would bring toys with them and stuffed

animals. I even remember them waving goodbye to me when their visits

would end. And sometimes one or two of the older children in the room

would try to get my attention by calling me a “dumb bell”.

Chalk it up as my first experience with bullying.

I never got the chance to hear in my parents own words what it was

like for them. Looking back on it, I‘m amazed at their ability to live that

experience and carry on. They did have a lot in their favor.

They had supportive family members and friends. They trusted their

doctors, and above all, they were people of great faith. Thank goodness they did not have the

distractions of “dooms day” predictions or prognosis from social media and “talking heads”.

Somehow, though, even if they did, Betty and Harry Donahue, would have discreetly dismissed

such opinions and stayed the course.

When I left the hospital and returned home, I was visited weekly by a physical therapist

who put me thru a rigorous exercise program while I wore a leg brace that weighed one quarter

as much as I did.

With the brace removed I did leg pumps on our dining room table trying to restore some

muscle mass in my atrophied right calf. With the brace on, the therapist would guide me along

a seam in our living room rug trying to maintain balance while walking a straight line. In

between visits, my mother would do the same while never displaying a “woe is me” attitude.

There wasn’t time for self pity.

Almost two years later, the brace came off. I could almost walk a

straight line. My parents knew I’d never be an Olympic sprinter, but

that never discouraged them, and in the process, it did not discourage

me.

To the contrary, I never heard either of them say “ You can’t do that”

or “Why don’t you try something else” whenever I wanted to play stick

ball, touch football or basketball with neighborhood friends. They

normalized every bit of my life. They refused to over protect me. They

were survivors in every way. Children of the depression whose own

parents had taken on the loss of jobs and businesses and came out of

those tunnels ready for the next challenge.

They had scars and they had fears. But they overcame each and

every one in a silent demonstration of hope, trust and love.

That is the legacy of Betty and Harry Donahue and the legacy of

thousands like them. We can only pray that their response 70 years ago

can inspire today’s generation of parents.

Continued . . .

The New Polio: What Would Mom and Dad Have Done? Harry Donohue www.papolionetwork.org 2020 7

Harry Donahue, on a “pre” polio trip to the beach with his

mother and older brother.

Four year old Harry Donahue

Editor’s Note: We were so happy to see that Harry Donohue had shared his story with the Philadelphia

Inquirer. As a life long Philadelphia area resident, the first time I saw Harry Donohue on his

show “Inside Golf”, I recognized his voice immediately.

A few months later, after discovering that he too was a polio survivor, I had the opportunity

to meet him. When I asked if we could publish his story he was reluctant at best. It was early

on in our PPSN work, and I had yet to realize just how difficult it could be for polio survivors to

share their stories. He chose to do so at a truly historical time in our lives.

Sports enthusiasts from the Philadelphia, PA area and beyond, will find his professional

history interesting.

You can see his professional biography HERE

This story, including additional photographs, is available on our website:

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The New Polio (continued . . . )

So thanks Mom and Dad for what you did. For guiding me through my Polio

virus experience. Yes, I wish you were here now to share your wisdom and

strength. But though you are certainly missed, I have to believe somewhere

there are parents just like you. Similar in their own way at being that guiding

light to their children, family and friends.

Your loving son,

Harry Jr.

A young Harry Donahue and his father.

While in quarantine, we have been learning how to

communicate with our PA Network contributing

professionals in a more effective way.

We are sharing the first video conversation in our

series, completed with

Brian Tiburzi, the Executive Director

of Post-Polio Health International.

In the midst of living in quarantine, moving their St.

Louis, Missouri offices, updating the PHI website and

struggling with lack of internet access;

Brian took the time for an informative and

very casual conversation.

It’s available on our website:

www.papolionetwork.org/phi-conversations

Always feel free to contact us.

Unless noted with the article, feel free to copy and share what you see. Always give credit to

the original source, include a visible, working link to our website: www.papolionetwork.org

and email us a copy of what you “share”. THANKS.

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Contact us: papolionetwork@gmail.comPO Box 557, Doylestown, Pa. 18901We are a Registered 501C3 organization

We are more grateful than ever for your kind words and generous donations.

We strive to be a resource for information that can serve all polio survivors and their families.

Note: We know that many of you have seen Dr. Bruno’s chart of “Fear” columns in the

Coffee House and in Bruno Bytes. Our newsletter reaches many survivors who are not on

Facebook and therefore included this important exercise as an extra page in our newsletter.

Accessing Information on our PPSN WebsiteWe now have two effective indexes for information on our website.

1. On most pages of our website, you will see a “search” bar, that is

similar to what you can find on any website. When you type in the topic, it’s effective and

will bring up lots of information.

2. When we published the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS with Dr. Richard Bruno, PhD, we

realized that we wanted a more effective indexing tool. The Encyclopedia Index is updated

regularly and is easily accessed by using the “Control F” feature.

3. Our newly published Newsletter Index has the same feature.

When we entered “DeMayo”, 42 entries came up. We went to the first highlighted entry,

showing that the article is in the January, 2016 newsletter. Click on “January 2016” and the

newsletter is available for reading and download. The arrow (down or up) shows other entries.

Thank you PPSN volunteer Denise for maintaining these two important tools.