ROCKVILLE, MD – Ingleside at King Farm, a premier not-for-profit Life Plan Community in Rockville, Maryland, is pleased to announce its resident Gerane Sever received an award from Rotary International on behalf of her late husband, Dr. John Sever, in commemoration of his role in helping eradicate Polio.
Dr. John Sever, an infectious disease specialist and champion of Rotary’s polio eradication program worked for almost three decades as Chief of the Infectious Disease Branch Laboratory of the Neurological Institute at the NIH.
As instigator of the PolioPlus Eradication Program and Vice Chairman of the PolioPlus Program for Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee and for his contributions to the PolioPlus program, Dr. Sever received the International Service Award for a Polio-free World, an acknowledgment presented to Dr. John Sever’s wife, Gerane Sever, by the chair of the Rotary Foundation Trustees on Thursday, August 22nd 2024 at Ingleside at King Farm.
“Dr. Sever’s tireless efforts have been instrumental in driving the global campaign towards eradicating polio,” said Ingleside at King Farm Executive Director Kenya Bryant. “Across Ingleside communities, we honor and value residents who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Dr. Sever’s resilience towards a polio-free world exemplifies true leadership, it is an honor to see his legacy and efforts receive well-deserved recognition.”
Dr. Sever’s award recognizes his contributions and decades of unwavering determination and resolve toward the fight against polio. His pioneering insights and contributions paved the way for groundbreaking strategies, innovative approaches, and unprecedented collaboration, bringing us closer than ever to the ultimate goal of a polio-free world.
“It is an honor to receive this award on my late husband’s behalf,” commented Gerane Sever, the wife of Dr. Sever. “He was an inspiration to all of us and is beyond deserving of this accolade. His legacy and efforts towards eradicating polio will forever be remembered,” she added.
Dr. Sever was a professor emeritus of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Children’s National Medical Center. He taught postgraduate education in infectious diseases and served on several institutional review boards. He was past president of the Teratology Society, the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists, Virology and the Pan American Group for Rapid Viral Diagnosis, and many other medical societies.
Dr. Sever passed away in April at the age of 92 and is survived by his wife, Gerane, three daughters Kimberly, Beverly, and Valerie, and seven grandchildren.
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