Important Notice

The Greater Boston Post Polio Association is disbanding after 30 years of providing education, sharing resources and offering support to the post polio community and their families. The Association no longer has the volunteers nor the energy to continue as a viable group. After much thoughtful deliberation, the board of directors voted to officially end all operations of the Association as of October, 2016. Thank you to the many members and volunteers who supported the Association with their time and financially for 30 years. If you are looking for Post Polio resources please contact:

Post-Polio Health International (PHI)
4207 Lindell Blvd., #110, Saint Louis, MO 63108-2930 USA
(314)534-0475
email: info@post-polio.org
Post-Polio Health International
Polio Place


Welcome to the website of the (former) Greater Boston Post-Polio Association! This site is no longer actively maintained except for the notices above, but it does contain some useful references, so it will stay up for now.

Rather than inundate you with a library of thousands of documents, we take a more selective approach to make it easy for you to find the most important and useful resources available. Many of the items here, such as our member-written articles, Positive Personal Solutions column and resource list originate with the GBPPA and will be found in few other places. We hope that you will find information here that will make coping with post-polio syndrome a little easier.

Please read our [disclaimer].

Last Updated: July 28, 2018

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What is Post-Polio Syndrome?

Post-polio syndrome, often called post-polio sequelae or the late effects of polio, is a condition which affects a growing number of individuals who contracted polio 30 or more years ago. Most polio patients recovered, at least partially, held responsible jobs and functioned reasonably well for years. Many now find themselves physically unable to maintain the active lifestyle they had struggled so hard to achieve. Post-polio syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms:

Because of the virtual eradication of polio in the United States in the late 1950s, most members of the medical community and the general public fail to recognize such symptoms as relating in some manner to the original disease. Although medical researchers studying post-polio syndrome have uncovered some facts about the condition, no effective medical treatments have been found. Lifestyle changes, pacing and the use of adaptive equipment are the most effective way to minimize the effects of PPS.

The Greater Boston Post Polio Association

The Association was formed in 1986 and became a nonprofit corporation in 1987. Membership is open to:

The Association’s Objectives

The Association’s Activities, Resources and Publications

The Fred C. Pearson Memorial Fund

The Fred C. Pearson Memorial Fund, named in honor of a creative and generous man who made tremendous contributions to the GBPPA in many areas during his lifetime, was established to assist members of the Association of at least six months standing who are now encountering the effects of post-polio syndrome to purchase assistive equipment, including but not limited to walking aids (such as canes, walkers and special shoes), automotive or wheelchair accessories and tub or shower safety equipment (such as grab bars or special seats). It is also the intent to provide grants for unreimbursed services by a qualified healthcare provider such as initial diagnostic testing relating to post-polio syndrome or review of rehabilitation issues including evaluations of the home environment. The maximum grant is $600 and shall be not less than 25% of the total cost of the assistive equipment or services for which the grant is made.

The following criteria apply:

The Association encourages members who feel that they might qualify to request an application by calling the voicemail line.