Minda Dentler, a polio ambassador
and advocate for childhood
immunization, is both an
inspiration and a reminder of
what polio paralysis means.
As the result of polio contracted
when she was an infant in India,
Dentler’s legs were paralyzed, and
she was placed in an orphanage.
She was adopted by a family from
Spokane, Washington, USA, and,
after a series of surgeries, was able
to walk with the aid of leg braces
Determined not to be sidelined,
Dentler began exploring sports
when she was a young woman living
in New York City. Eventually, she
discovered hand cycling. It’s clear
that when Dentler is in, she’s all in:
After a few years, she switched to
triathlon training, and she made
history in 2013 by completing the
Ironman World Championship.
HELP US MAKE
WORLD POLIO DAY GLOBAL
IDEAS FOR OBSERVING WORLD POLIO DAY:
Watch Rotary’s World Polio Day event on 24 October
at endpolio.org, and follow the event on social media.
Share our sample Facebook posts, Instagram
images, and tweets.
Use #endpolio to follow and join the global
Host a viewing party for friends and fellow club
members to watch the World Polio Day event.
Invite local media, elected officials, and community
leaders to your viewing party.
Dedicate a club meeting to World Polio Day and update
your website with information about the event.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
about the importance of ending polio.
Write your government officials asking for their
continued support of polio eradication efforts.
Last November, Dentler
returned to India for the first
time since she was 11, traveling
with a group of Rotarians to
advocate for immunization. Her
passionate work on behalf of polio
eradication has led to her frequent
involvement in Rotary’s World
Polio Day observances.
“Polio has impacted so many
people worldwide,” says Dentler.
“It’s very important to ensure that
people are getting vaccinated so
the disease doesn’t spread. There
really is a possibility that we could
eradicate this disease.”
By holding your own World Polio
Day event around 24 October, you
can help us deliver the message,
globally, that we need to continue
raising money in order to reach
every child with life-saving
vaccine, and to maintain the
surveillance necessary to finish
the job. We need to ensure that no
more children have to suffer this
completely preventable disease,
and to remember that until polio is
eradicated everywhere, it remains
a threat anywhere.
Download our event planning
guide to help you organize a
fundraiser or community
event. Register your event at
endpolio.org to become part
of our World Polio Day 2016
observance, and make history
Minda Dentler shares her story during the 2014 World Polio Day event.