The ones whose soul and heart are filled with high purpose. Yes, these are the living ones.-Victor Hugo
The Rotary Foundation has within their action groups a "polio survivors and associates" subgroup who refer to themselves as "Voices of Polio". Their goal is to let those with polio or family members tell their stories of how polio has defined their lives. (RI website)
Earl Dean Popplewell (9.22.2012 reply): " I had polio back in 1944-45 when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I was sick with fevers and very weak for a couple of months. One day, I remember carrying an arm load of toys across the room that had been given to me, because I had been sick in our farm house in Kentucky. I fell to the floor totally paralyzed. I remember my mother rushing over picking me up and I slid between her arms and fell to the floor again. My father drove me to the children's hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. where I spent about 6 months, part of which was in the iron lung. I left the hospital wearing braces on both legs for around 20 years. About 20 years ago, I hurt my knee skiing and developed PPS, which left me with a slight limp. It appears that polio does come back for people that had polio previously after they had some form of traumatic injury, as I did. I can consider myself lucky. I believe there are many people that have not been so lucky."
