Person DS/UK/6239 Costello; James (Jim) (1943-2022); polio patient advocate Costello James (Jim) 1943-2022 polio patient advocate

He was a 15-year-old schoolboy in Clongowes when he contracted polio in 1958. He developed upper-body paralysis, which severely compromised his lung function and left him without the use of his arms. After leaving Clongowes James spent much of his life in the polio unit of Cherry Orchard Fever Hospital in Dublin and was the last surviving patient in that unit. He was also the last man in Ireland to still be reliant on an iron lung to do his breathing for him. Founding member of the Post Polio Support Group which supports survivors who are affected by the late effects of polio. His story was the subject of a ‘Would You Believe?’ program on RTÉ Television in 2005 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes AXIELLNET\RCPIACusan 17/07/2025 AXIELLNET\RCPIMCrawte 22/08/2025 d072c0eb-e37e-4a0c-b560-023445623fc1