Feb. 18th Meeting: Jan Nichols on Polio Plus

Janice Flood Nichols is a survivor of a polio epidemic that struck her suburb of DeWitt, NY, in fall 1953.
Nichols received a BA in psychology from Seton Hill University and a MEd. in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Pittsburgh (Jonas Salk's research institute).
In 2003, Janice received a March copy of the Rotarian from her college friend and grad school roommate, former First Lady of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Michele Moore Ridge. Michele's note was a simple one: "Jan, now you have to tell your story."
That night, she spoke to her husband and decided that she had to do something to bring attention to the disease. Her book, Twin Voices: A Memoir of Polio, the Forgotten Killer, was published in 2007 (with a second edition released in fall '08). The book wraps her family's personal story around the greater story of polio, the disease. A concise history of Rotary's PolioPlus program is included in one of the book's appendices.
Today, she spends her time speaking to Rotary clubs and districts, other civic groups, high school health classes, book clubs, immunization coalitions and conferences, and medical personnel regarding the importance of polio eradication and vaccination.
Her book received honorable mention in both nonfiction and biography at the 2007 London Book Festival. She received the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award from Seton Hill University for her work with polio.
Her short story entitled, "A Twin Nudge," appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More (published in March 2009). The short story traces her present work to the 2003 Rotarian magazine sent by her friend. As Jan likes to put it, she's a woman on a mission.
Jan resides with her husband, Dr. David Nichols, in Lockport, NY. The couple has a grown son, Dr. Kevin Nichols.
Learn more at: www.twinvoices.com. The Web page provides links to vaccine sites, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Post-Polio Health International, and an international relief organization.

This meeting will be held Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 12:15pm in Shanghai Red's, 2 Templteon Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202.

Click here for a complete list of upcoming speakers at our weekly meeting. 

If you'd like to attend a meeting, contact John McClive. 

For more information about Rotary Club of Buffalo, visit our website, www.buffalorotary.org.