The most dreaded Disease - Polio

      "Parents: don't allow your children to blow bubbles when chewing bubble gum. Let's do all we can to stop the spread of polio germs." I remember hearing an announcement something like this over the radio in the late 40's. I was in 3rd grade. I still remember it today.
      Folks were getting desperate to do whatever it took to stop this most dreaded disease. 
     In 1949 one of my cousins, Jerry, became very ill. Five days later he died - polio. He was 13 years old. The whole family was devastated. His parents and two brothers, Larry and Jimmy, moved to Wisconsin. I remember his mother, my aunt, saying they would never return to Waterloo, Iowa. 
      I wrote a story about my friend, Eddie, The Most Dreaded Disease. He was an outstanding boy who died of polio.
     There were many other cases that affected our family. There were many more that affected many other families. 
     Today we still hear of folks who were afflicted back in their childhood. There are folks still living in iron lungs today, from the 40's and 50's suffering from polio.
     I have my own story to tell. But luckily my story has a happy ending. Toward evening one day my neck began to feel stiff. Mother gave me an aspirin and I went to bed. In the morning my neck was so stiff I couldn't move my head. 
     I was admitted in the hospital and put immediately in isolation. That meant a private room, nurses and doctors wearing a mask when they came in my room. My food was brought on paper plates with plastic fork and spoon and cup, so they could be thrown away when I finished. No visitors were allowed except my parents. They had to wear a white coat over their clothes and a mask over their noses and mouths. It was a very scary time for my family...and for me! 
     Then a spinal tap was ordered for me. This would tell the doctor if I had polio. I remember this as a very hurtful procedure, plus I was scared. In my mind I could see a big butcher knife. I'm sure it wasn't...
     The results came back and I was no longer in isolation and was released the next day! I had a viral infection and in another few days, I was back to normal.
     I found out how scared my neighbors were when the father of my friend, Becky, told me, "go home and stay on your own sand hill!"
     Being a sensitive child I went home and stayed home for several days. I don't remember ever going to Becky's house again. 
     When my children were small the new vaccine for polio came out. I was so grateful and could hardly wait for it to be available in our town. We stood in line at Cook School, the older children were given sugar lumps with the vaccine in them and the babies received a squirt of the vaccine from an eye dropper. What a miracle! Younger folks today have no idea what it was like having the fear of polio hanging over us. 
     

The most dreaded Disease

     The phone rang one day and I heard my daddy say, "No, oh no. When? How long was he sick?" 
     I was in fourth grade, we were living in East Peoria, Illinois. The phone call was from Des Moines, Iowa, where we had lived for several years and my daddy was pastor of a church.
     In that church was a family with just one son, Eddie. They had lost a daughter shortly after she was born. 
     We waited until Daddy hung up the phone for him to tell us the bad news. Eddie had died of polio, the most dreaded disease.
     NO! Not Eddie! Why? Why, God? Why Eddie? 
     Eddie was about a year older then I was. He was an outstanding boy. Eddie loved school and had many friends. He loved Jesus and wasn't afraid to tell anyone. In fact he loved telling folks, of all ages, about Jesus! 
     I have so many memories of Eddie. One day, playing in a park with friends, a rabid dog began chasing the boys. Eddie ran home, with his arms in the air, praying loudly, "Help me, Jesus, Help me, Jesus!"
God did help him run into the house and slam the door shut just as the dog ran up the porch steps. A dog catcher came and retrieved the dog a few minutes later.
     Eddie raised money for a children's home, by going door to door, asking for donations. He felt so badly for the children with no parents he often cried as he told of their plight. He raised more money for the Woodstock Children's Home than any other child. (Back in the late 40's and early 50's it was possible to go door to door to raise money.) A prize of a new bicycle was awarded to him, but a better prize for Eddie was in knowing he had helped the unfortunate children who had abusive parents or no parents at all.
     We were told Eddie's mother sat beside his hospital bed, crying softly. Eddie reached over and put his hand on her arm, "Don't cry, Mama," he said, "I'm going to live with Jesus."
     The next day Eddie did go to be with Jesus. A very sad day on earth...but a day of rejoicing in heaven.
     Someday I'm going to see Eddie again...