Text Box: The Post Polio Support Group of Maine is a private, non-profit 501 [c] (3) organization.  We offer the latest information on the late effects of polio to more than nine hundred polio survivors, their families, and health care providers throughout Northern New England and parts of Canada.  Support for our work comes from donations from the public, from Alpha One, and from a grant furnished by the Pine Tree Society.  For more information, contact us at:

The Post Polio Support Group of Maine
c/o 674 Hallowell-Litchfield Road
West Gardiner, Maine 04345
Phone: (207) 724-3784 
NOW ON THE WORLWIDE WEB:
http://www.ppsgm.org

Spring 2007

The Post

Polio Support Group

of Maine

 

 

ž Information About the Late Effects of Polio Pamphlet – Our group has purchased 400 copies of this pamphlet from Post-Polio Health International to be used by our members.  This is an easy-to-read three-part pamphlet for polio survivors, families/friends, or health professionals.  You may want to distribute them to your local hospital, health professionals, family, or even libraries or schools.  If you would like to receive some of these, please contact us with the quantity and your mailing address.

 

ž  Post-Polio Grant – Post-Polio Health International has announced its most recent grant of $25,000 to a team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  The researchers propose to determine whether there is a unique signature, or disease biomarker, in the immune system of individuals with post-polio syndrome that would enable a more definitive diagnosis of PPS.

 

ž Thanks to All Our Members – We’ve now completed 20 years of working together to provide information, support and outreach to those with PPS and others wanting to know more about it.  Thanks to your generous donations throughout the years, we have been able to continue to cover our operating expenses.  While we are volunteers, there are always operating expenses, such as mailing, printing of newsletters, conference expenses, etc.  Thanks to you and an annual grant from the Pine Tree Society, we are able to keep our attendance fee at conferences to a bare minimum, avoid any mandatory dues, provide mailings to our members, and keep our website in operation.  We are grateful to all of you, and hope our efforts are helpful.  We welcome comments from you, and if you have any articles or other information to share with us, please contact us by mail, phone call, e-mail to any of our Board members, or through our website.

 

ž Post-Polio Health Website – If you haven’t checked out this website, or looked at it lately, you may want to go to www.post-polio.org.  This website provides information on research, networking, advocacy and education.  You can find articles from the Post-Polio Health newsletter, educational information for health professionals, updates on governmental activities, and current research.

 

ž Regional Support Group - The Southern Maine regional support group continues to be active and provides a valuable networking tool for its attendees.  The group usually meets the last Saturday of each month in the Portland area.  Everyone is welcome.  For more information, contact any of these people:  Sharon Antoniuc at 207-865-0078, Jane Lindquist at 207-781-8914 or Nancy Stambach at 207-729-4297.

 

 

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2007 Conference—Our 2007 Conference planning is underway.  Hope you’ll be able to join us on Saturday, October 6 at the Calumet Club in Augusta, Maine.  This year we’re having several interactive discussions.  Our tentative speakers include Dr. Dorothy Woods Smith and Dr. William Collinge.  Topics will include spirituality—with research results on those with post-polio syndrome and its effectiveness; fibromyalgia—its similarities/differences with post-polio syndrome (many with PPS have this also, and don’t know they do); and self-healing techniques, with special emphasis on aging.  Hands-on demonstrations and group participation are planned.

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