I am getting my COVID-19 vaccine in honor of my great uncle

My name is Dena and I work as a Certified Surgical Technologist at BMH. I am writing to you this evening at the encouragement of Anne Wendling. On Wednesday, December 23 at 6:15 a.m. I will be receiving my first COVID vaccine. For me, it is very personal as I am the great-niece of Basil O’Connor. He was the money man behind the research and subsequent development of the polio vaccine. He is responsible for raising hundreds of millions of dollars for Jonas Salk’s research. He, along with his ex-law partner and good friend, Franklin Delano Roosevelt started the foundation that eventually became known as the March of Dimes. When I sit down for my vaccine on Wednesday, I am doing it not only for myself and my community, but I am doing it in honor of a great Irishman who came from nothing, yet he changed the world!