Le Roux sheds light on post-polio syndrome

ARTSCAPE CEO, Marlene le Roux is making her voice heard bringing a much-needed spotlight to the challenges facing post-polio sufferers worldwide.

- THEOLIN TEMBO [e-mail]

March 26 is recognised worldwide by post-polio sufferers as the day when the ground-breaking research of American virologist Dr Jonas Salk (1914-1995) announced his vaccine against the deadly disease in 1953.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that attacks the nervous system and can lead to spinal and respiratory paralysis, and in some cases death, mostly affecting young children.

Le Roux contracted polio in 1967, at barely three-months-old.

She said her story, like so many others, is testament to the lack of care and empathy experienced by mothers and families who were disadvantaged by a racist political system.

Whereas millions of polio sufferers have been fortunate to receive the polio vaccine, Le Roux and others were denied since that day, many others, including myself, were denied access to this life-changing treatment in their childhoods.

“In my case, the local doctor who suffers from, and that means limbs need braces, crutches, or wheelchairs to aid mobility. To add insult to injury, assistive devices are very costly to be mobile,” she said.

“We talk about the eradication of polio? What do you do with post-polio sufferers? Post-polio sufferers’ poor lungs give in because the body is muscle. Your muscles weaken, and women get hysterectomies.