A polio scare in 1954
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339655)
Rockingham, Australia
November 26, 2019 6:15pm CST
This is part 2 of my previous discussion. You can read the first part here:
It turns out my brother had contracted polio. There was a certain amount of stigma attached if you caught the disease. No one really knew how it spread but rumours were rife. Because of the prospect of paralysis and permanent disability, the disease was greatly feared.
After being hospitalised for several weeks, my brother returned home. His only affliction was a slightly weakened wrist. My aunt was not so lucky and spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Of course, many of those who contracted polio lived out their lives in an iron lung.
Thankfully, in 1955, Dr Jonas Salk successfully trialled the Salk vaccine and the age of polio epidemics was effectively over. At the time my brother caught the disease, there were no vaccines to fight it. I never really appreciated the fact that my parents must have been incredibly worried about the outcome.
Another photo is of the Flying Scotsman when it came to Western Australia.
I've split this discussion into two as it's quite long. In 1954, I was eight and went to a West Australian government school that catered for quite a large...
17 people like this
15 responses
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
27 Nov 19
we had a polio scare in SA as well around that time because my sister who was born in June 1954 had polio and had to wear braces on her legs for years. She now just has one very short and thin leg but keeps them hidden with cotton slacks. we had another outbreak in 1989 but since then have been polio-free. Love the Train photos of "the flying Dutchman"
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
1 Dec 19
@JudyEv I can't understand how mothers don't believe in the vaccination - we have a friend who has a 2-year old that she has to keep home from playgroup more than she attends because of childhood illnesses and she is adamant not to allow her child to be inoculated - she will be sorry if anything happens to that little one - they are Italian and travel back and forth all the time - so even if its not happening in SA - whats to say someone on a plane isn't carrying it??
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@Letranknight2015 (51938)
• Philippines
27 Nov 19
Sadly, polio is back in my country and it's been sprouting like mushrooms everywhere.
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@JudyEv (339655)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Nov 19
That is terrible. Do they offer people the vaccine?
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
29 Nov 19
thank the heavens he's no worse long term 'ffects. i'd a great aunt who suffered the same fate's yers. 'lways broke my heart to visit with her. so many perished, others suffered horribly... 'n now so many refuse vaccines, i fear fer our youth'n the future.
yepperz, yer folks must'a been most horrified, with many thoughts rushin' through their heads. lovely train!
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
30 Nov 19
@JudyEv i believe ya to be correct, hon. they tend to live'n a fantasy land 'f 'that happens to other folks' 'n somehow feel immune? i fear fer those young'uns.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79750)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Nov 19
I am glad that your brother was not terribly afflicted and he sure was lucky, Sorry your aunt had to spend her life in a wheelchair, It is great that we can depend on scientists to find vaccines for terrible diseases, I will look at your first part now,
2 people like this
@xFiacre (12973)
• Ireland
27 Nov 19
@judyev It was indeed an awful affliction. I remember seeing children with their legs in callipers to help them walk. When I was one year old in 1959 a doctor told my parents I had polio. They took me home and sat beside my cot crying - we are still waiting for the disease to develop.
4 people like this
@jobelbojel (35514)
• Philippines
17 Feb 20
I'm sorry your brother and aunt got the polio. Gladly, a vaccine was created for this such disease.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (35514)
• Philippines
17 Feb 20
@JudyEv It was scary hearing stories about this.
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@JudyEv (339655)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Feb 20
@jobelbojel No-one knew who was going to get it next.
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
27 Nov 19
My father's younger sister was afflicted by polio when she already has a family. It was discovered early but she still had a limp. A second cousin also had polio that left one his leg shorter.
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@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr 20
That is a superb photo. I would like to do the train trip from Perth to Sydney but I understand it is very expensive. Yes thankfully a vaccine was found.
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@JudyEv (339655)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Apr 20
We were up on a bridge. Yes, the Indian Pacific as it's called is very expensive.
@moffittjc (121553)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Nov 19
I can imagine how scary it must have been for your parents to have to worry about what would happen to your brother. Even now, with our advances in medicine, I would be distraught if I had learned that one of my children caught such a debilitating disease. How was he able to fight off the disease and emerge relatively unscathed?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121553)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Nov 19
@JudyEv Yes, he was definitely one of the lucky ones! How old were you when this happened?
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@JudyEv (339655)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Nov 19
@moffittjc I was eight and my siblings were 16 (twins)
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Nov 19
It is forgotten these days how important Dr. Salk was and what he accomplished.
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@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
27 Nov 19
Polio used to be a very deadly disease. I'm.sorry for your brother
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@JudyEv (339655)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Dec 19
@amitkokiladitya It is still in Pakistan and Afghanistan Not sure where else.
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@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
1 Dec 19
@JudyEv ohh.. Bad . We haven't come across a case here in India since a year now.
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