I dropped my mother off at the door, never imagining she would leave in an ambulance. What followed has stayed with me ever since.

In our house, vaccines came with sugar cubes, stories of iron lungs, and deep respect for the protection they offered.

I grew up watching my mother fall—physically and emotionally—after surviving polio. One afternoon at a dental school parking lot, my lunch money became our way home and taught me something I’ve never forgotten about love, dignity, and resilience.