List of polio survivors
Name Life Comments
Daisy Richards Bisz 1909-2007 After a bout of polio as an infant , Bisz went on to become one of Florida 's first female attorneys , eventually winning a number of cases against Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Richard N. Cabela 1936-2014 An entrepreneur and founder of the outdoor retailer Cabela 's . He stated that his business was inspired by his bout with polio and a deep love of fishing and hunting
Pete Dawkins born 1938 Former Heisman Trophy winner , Rhodes Scholar , U.S. Army Brigadier General , and Republican candidate for Senate , Dawkins contracted polio at age eleven
Garth Drabinsky born 1949 Canadian theatrical producer , contracted polio at age three , and was left with a limp in his left leg
Richard B. Fisher 1936-2004 Chairman emeritus of the securities firm Morgan Stanley , he had to use a cane as a result of polio
Franklin Clarence Mars 1884-1934 Founded the Mars confectionery company . After contracting polio as a child and unable to play like other children , Mars helped his mother in the kitchen . This led to selling candy after school and , eventually , his own company
James McGregor Stewart 1889-1955 Canadian lawyer and businessman . Contracted polio at age two and used crutches . President of the Canadian Bar Association , coal administrator during the Second World War , and founder of Halifax law firm
Margarete Steiff 1847-1909 Toy maker and founder of the Steiff Company , known for its teddy bear . She contracted polio , aged 18 months , and lost the use of her legs and had only partial use of her right arm
Dennis Washington born 1934 Businessman and founder of The Washington Companies . He contracted polio when he was eight and recovered well
Uncontested diagnosis -- Business
Toymaker Margarete Steiff was paralysed as an infant .
This is a list of notable people who have survived paralytic poliomyelitis. Poliomyelitis (often simply called polio) is an acute viral infection that involves the gastrointestinal tract and occasionally the central nervous system. Poliovirus is acquired by faecal-oral or oral transmission. Prior to the introduction of a vaccine in 1955, infection was common, with epidemics during the summer and autumn of temperate countries. An eradication programme has reduced the number of reported polio cases worldwide by more than 99% since the mid-1980s. Most infections are asymptomatic; a small number cause a minor illness that is indistinguishable from many other viral illnesses; less than 1% result in acute flaccid paralysis. This list only includes notable persons who had the paralytic form of polio. The extent of paralysis varies from part of a limb to quadriplegia and respiratory failure. The latter was often treated with an iron lung until, it was hoped, the patient recovered. Around 30-40 years after contracting paralytic poliomyelitis, about 25-40% of cases lead to post-polio syndrome. Symptoms include muscle pain, further weakening of muscles and paralysis. Surviving paralytic polio can be a life-changing experience.