Nothing in Gautam Lewis’ childhood could have suggested that he would be where he is today.

Born into poverty in India in 1977, Lewis was abandoned before age two after contracting polio and spent most of his early years in orphanages. At age seven, he was adopted by Patricia Lewis, a nuclear physicist who met him while working at a children’s rehabilitation center in Kolkata, and moved with her to England. Lewis went on to make his career in the music industry, managing rock bands like the Libertines, the Hives, and the Kills and becoming a record label manager for Poptones Records.

Now, Lewis, who walks with crutches, is channeling his energies toward the disease that had such an impact on his life. “Eradicating polio has become my passion,” says Lewis, who joined the fight after learning about Rotary’s commitment to wipe out the virus, which is still endemic in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

For several days in November, he and other volunteers, including Rotarians, administered the oral polio vaccine to children in India, which, as of 1 January, had reported 534 cases of polio for 2007. Below, Lewis describes one of the more challenging vaccinations.

We drove to one of the poorest districts of Moradabad to take part in house-to-house vaccinations. We walked down little alleyways with open sewers. We met up with Rotarians, government doctors, and people from UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

Our first stop was at a house where a mother had repeatedly refused to let her child be immunized because she didn’t trust the vaccine’s effectiveness. I spent more than an hour talking to her. I kept my words simple, honest, and passionate. I didn’t want my message getting lost in translation. I regret that I have forgotten all my Hindi and Bengali. I finally convinced her, but she would let only me vaccinate her child – not the doctors, not the health workers, and not any of the locals. In convincing this one parent, I had achieved what I set out to do: help change perception and motivate people to empower their children for a healthier future.

By the end of the day, I totally understood how hard it can be to vaccinate every child, especially when there is a lack of faith in the vaccines. I was highly impressed by the success of the eradication campaign and how well it was organized. Sure, challenges exist, but they will be overcome.

Polio eradication will be achieved in India. I believe this with all my heart. While I was in India, I was very happy to get news that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary will contribute US$200 million to polio eradication. This endorsement, I hope, will be the catalyst for others to contribute further funds. I know that I wish to help in the fundraising process.

As a result of Rotary’s efforts, many will go on to live happy and productive lives, having been spared the cruel, lifelong consequences of polio that I know so well.