This was originally published on Global Health TV on November 23, 2016.
PARIS, France — In 2012, Latif and his colleague were
vaccinating children against polio in Pakistan when they were shot by
extremists. Latif was shot in the leg. He had 11 metal rods inserted into his
leg and was hospitalized for three months. His colleague died. Today, fully
recovered and undeterred, Latif (his surname is withheld to protect his
security) continues his anti-polio crusade in northwestern Pakistan.
Jim Costello, 73, contracted polio at the age of 15. It
paralyzed his upper body: He has triple curvature of the spine, wears a spinal
brace and has no use of his arms. His lungs are 75% paralyzed and he uses a
medical ventilator for about 18 hours daily. He lives at home in Dublin,
Ireland with his wife Delia, “my beloved partner of over 30 years,” on the
weekends. During the week, he is in the hospital where he still uses an iron
lung. Despite these limitations, he has led a productive life in the retail
clothing business and in support of polio survivors. Since 1993, he has served
as chairperson and board member of Post-Polio Support Group Ireland
Latif and Costello were two of five people honored as “polio
heroes” at a World
Polio Day event Oct. 24 at the Pasteur Institute here sponsored by Sanofi
Pasteur and Rotary International, two organizations deeply invested in the
fight against the disease. Meet Latif in
this video and Khuram (an employee of Sanofi Pasteur) in
this video (videos from Sanofi Pasteur/AKS Films).
