‘Iron lung’ exhibit makes stop in Huntley to draw awareness to polio

An exhibit drawing awareness to polio made a stop to Huntley’s Fall Fest to teach residents more about the disease, which has been eradicated in America but still can spread in some countries.

Several people visited the exhibit at Huntley’s annual festival to learn more about the disease and the machine that helped people infected with polio to breath as the disease attacked their nervous system, according to a news release. The iron lung is a large, body-length machine that worked as a ventilator to simulate breathing for people with polio.

Presenters from the Rotary Club of Huntley shared the the exhibit and told the Northwest Herald that many people stopped by the exhibit to share their stories of people they knew who had to use the iron lung during their life. The presenters said the exhibit was important to show because polio still can infect some people in part of the world, mainly Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the vaccine has not ended the disease.

The U.S. has not had a case of polio in over 25 years, presenters said, because mass vaccination has prevented the disease from spreading.

The club is working to raise money to go toward ending the disease.