SETBACKS AND ADVANCES

"Failure isn't so bad if it doesn't attack the heart. Success is all right if it doesn't go to the head."-Grantland Rice.

"While Jerry was away from the business end of the print shop, things got out of hand and his stepfather had to declare bankruptcy. He signed the papers with his pen in his mouth since he could not use his hands. They had a big auction and all the equipment and the new building were sold. What a heartbreak for him! However, he didn't sit back and do nothing. He decided to go back into the printing business once he had his operations and was able to move around reasonably. He heard about a print shop for sale that belonged to an old friend who was going out of business. He often mentioned that he would find out who his friends were when he was asking for some help to get started. Having just getting out of the hospital, he didn't have much to start with. He managed to borrow enough money to get started again. He was able to buy the shop and lease the equipment with the option to buy. When he got started, he kept going not only with a print shop but joined with some friends and started an ad agency. That didn't last too long as they lost two big accounts. He had two employees when he hound a new location for his print shop."

Once he heard that a building was for sale on Julian St., he decided that it was for him. He was able to acquire the place and soon filled it with printing equipment. It was so full, you could hardly walk. He was getting well known in the printing business. As time went on, he bought more land at the same location. Soon, he had a big metal building built to hold more presses and folders, and it was soon filled. Then he needed a machine that would but books, programs and magazines together, so another metal building was constructed. He also used the space to store paper as he would buy the paper in big amounts on skids to save money. At one time, he added a mailing machine to mail the monthly publications. He made the front building into the art and camera departments. Jerry was a great businessman, and at one time, he had over 50 employees. 
He had customers from all over the Bay area with all kinds of printing needs. He became the publisher of several trade magazines during this time; the biggest one being ' Good Packaging magazine'. It was one of the first packaging magazines on the West coast to inform people how products were packaged. With his interest in packaging, he helped start the school of packaging at SJSU. At one time, he bought a house down the street on Julian St where he moved the  magazine department. It was assembled there and printed at the shop." 

Audrey Clark concludes her recollections of he beloved friend, Jerry Erich: " He bought a cabin in Boulder Creek, CA. where he could relax on the weekends. Driving by a print shop in Felton one day, he stopped to chat. He found out it was about to close due to lack of funds. After thinking it over for a week or so, he stopped by again and bought the place. The employees were quite pleased to have a new owner. It didn't take long until he had the place making money with his 'know how' in running a business His good credit withthe paper and ink companies also helped."

JERRY'S JOURNEY, CONT.

There is a wonderful word in Hebrew: "yoke" ("wooden bar") that Jesus uses in Matt 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls". 

Spouses are "yoked together" by the love of God and their love for each other. The love that Jerry and Dorothy had sustained severe trials throughout their lives, however, the "yoke" that bonded them would shower much loving service to their community and beyond through Rotary.

JERRY'S JOURNAL, CONT.

" Love bears all things, believes in all things, hopes all things, endures all things."- 1 Cor 13:7

"While he was a patient at Rancho Los Amigos, he met his future wife, Dorothy Foley. She was a polio patient also. She had a tracheotomy , her head held up with a halo and no hair the first time he saw her. He was using a wheelchair and was all over the place in the chair. She didn't know what to think about him. The polio affected his muscles in her legs and foot so she had trouble walking. She had to use the trek in order to speak. They were good for each other as the understood what each other had gone through because of polio. They were married in 1962 and they had one son, Stephen. He had high hopes that Steve would love the printing business as much as he did, but it didn't work out that way. Steve went to college and have several jobs, but he had no interest in being a printer. In April 1978, Steve passed away due to cancer. That was very hard on Jerry and Dorothy."

" Dorothy and I (Audrey) became very good friends. We would go to lunch, movies and even took some adult education classes together along with Weight Watchers. We would take the kids swimming and on picnics. If Jerry was home sick  and she had to go out, she would call me to come sit with Jerry as she didn't want him to be alone. If they were going out of town, some times, Steve would be with us. She loved it when Kelly, our daughter, who was born on Dorothy's birthday would come to stay with them. Kelly's daughter was born on Jerry's birthday, 1991." 

JERRY'S JOURNEY, cont.

It is hard for us to "wrap our minds" around the hardship that polio victims had to endure in order to survive. I believe that the key for polio victims and people who are challenged with serious illness lies in the attribute of resilience. Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines resilience as the "tendency to adjust to misfortune and change". I believe that this attribute is formed in one's personal character. Since all of us must undergo life's tests, we are presented with many opportunities to develop a strong character with the ability to adjust to the most severe tests.

JERRY'S JOURNEY, cont.

Audrey continues: "If Jerry was standing or sitting, he was able to breathe on his own. Once he laid down, he had to have help breathing, so he had to have a respirator. The first one was like a shell over his lungs for sleeping. Then he discovered a type of respirator called "bantam". It was a small case with a hose he held in his mouth to blow air into his lungs to open them. Later they improved a respirator which was much more dependable. He was told that he would not be able to hold the mouth piece in his mouth while he slept, but he was able to sleep that way for over 50 years."

JERRY'S JOURNEY, cont.

" Through strife, all things arise and pass away. "- Heraclitus

Jerry and Dorothy Erich were polio survivors along with several million afflicted persons over the past century. I believe that survivors of any debilitating disease are faced with the crucial challenge of whether or or not they are willing or able to live out lives of value. I also believe that those who take the path of creating a value filled life allow their suffering to bring for the virtues of fortitude (courage), hope (perseverance), and charitable action (service).

Audrey Clark continues Jerry's story: " A great thing happened for Jerry when he was told about a man in Fresno who had invented a foot control to drive a car without using his hands. It was a plate with a boot like device on the floorboard where he put his foot in to turn the steering wheel. It could only be installed on Fords. Jerry was friends with the Ford dealer since he had done a lot of printing for him, and he was also chairman for the March of Dimes for Santa Clara county. Jerry had an old car that the dealer took for trade-in and he ended up with a new 1957 Ford. They made arrangements to get the car to Fresno for the adjustments and get it back to him. He was the first person in CA to be licensed to drive a car with foot control!

I experienced Jerry's "foot control" driving first hand. Once during my time at Camp RYLA, he drove me from his cabin in Boulder Creek, CA to the camp. My emotions ranged from terror to amazement as he used his feet to drive with dexterity and speed. I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached camp-whew!!

POLIO SURVIVORS, CONT.

John Nanni (10.03.2013, reply) "I am a polio survivor and suffer from severe post-polio syndrome (PPS). At the age of 10 months old in 1953 (months before the Salk vaccine was widely distributed), I was paralyzed from my neck down for 6 months. After the polio virus did its damage, my mother performed (on me) extensive PT developed by Sister Kenny, an Australian nurse, which stopped my muscles fro atrophying.

I recovered and now lead a "normal" life. I played baseball, basketball and football as a teenager. Forty years later, I started to have renewed weakness, pain and severe fatigue. After 2 years and 10 different doctors, I was finally diagnosed with severe PPS.

Under my PPS Dr. care, I have learned how to best deal with PPS and how to preserve my ability to walk. To do so, I am now in a wheelchair for most of my mobility needs outside my home. I am limited to under 900 walking steps per day. I do deep water running to help keep my muscles active without damaging them. I eat a high protein diet because I like it and protein helps reduce fatigue.
I joined Polio Network of New Jersey (PNNJ) in 1992 to learn more about PPS In September 2012,
I was appointed to their board of directors. PNNS is a wonderful organization dedicated to help polio survivors deal with PPS.

I joined RI in 2010 after being a guest lecturer at the Rotary Club of Hamilton Township (Mercer Co., New Jersey). I have been appointed to the Rotary District 7510 Polio Plus committee and was part of the Polio Plus delegation to the UN General Assembly's special session on September 27, 2012 with world leaders and Bill Gates meeting to "Unite Against Polio" (endpolio.org/blog/polio eradication/2012/10/03/un.event-inspires). RI has played a major role from 1985 when they started their Polio Plus project to "End Polio Now". Rotary has helped reduce polio cases from 350,000 per year in 1985 to only 223 WPV cases in 2012.

My polio goals are: (1) To play a role in helping RI and Global Eradication Initiative (GPEI) eradicate polio worldwide in three remaining countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria,(2) To help other polio survivors and their families learn how to best deal with PPS, (3) To help educate doctors and other medical personnel about PPS, (4) To advocate for greater accessibility for the handicapped."

Sincerely in Rotary Service,
John Nanni