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- Info
Fox, Marcia Wieting - Polk County
- Describe what you remember about the fear surrounding polio epidemics.
- I was 10 years old. Our grade school teacher told us anyone contracting polio
died or was paralyzed for life. The school was encourageing dimes for infantile
paralysis; Pres. Roosevelt had had polio and the foundation asked for donations.
At that time (1941), the infantile paralysis foundation had just formed. People
were encouraged not to go swimming, stay out of crowds. We had a big epidemic
that year. They quarantined your home.
- Tell us what you remember of the impact of polio.
- My father was allowed to go to work. We had a depression then and needed the
money. My mother and brother were quarantined at first when I was admitted to
the Broadlawns Contagious Hospital. I had a spinal tap and overheard the doctor
call my parents and tell them I had polio. Then they injected a "serum" into my
spinal canal which was thought to prevent paralysis. I was in a double room at
first; my parents had to climb a ladder and talk to me through a window. I could
see and hear people in iron lungs in other rooms. I was terrified. I was on
bed rest for 3 weeks. They also gave you hot packs for your legs. They called it
the Sister Kenny treatment. I had my 10th birthday in the hospital. MY parents
gave me a Raggedy Ann doll. I wanted one desperately but it was a depression and
I know I would never have gotten that doll if I was not critically ill. I could
hear people yelling for a nurse for a drink of water. Once I cried over an hour
for a nurse for water. They were very short of help. After 3 weeks, I was moved
to a large ward with other children. I knew then that I wouldn't die. The day my
father came to take me home I tried to get out of bed and could not walk. He
carried me to the car. I returned to school within one week. My leg muscles were
just very weak from being immobilized for 3 weeks.
- Describe the reaction of your family and others you knew to the development
of the vaccine
- I had graduated from high school and entered nursing at the University of
Iowa. In 1951, I was a student nurse working in the polio ward at U. of Iowa
hospital and was caring for other polio victims. I had completely recovered from
polio and was quite an athlete. I cared for a friend's younger brother who had
bulbar polio and died within 24 hours of admission. Later, I graduated, married
and had one child who was about 2 when they announced that Dr. Salk had
discovered a vaccine for polio. I cried with relief that my child and others
could now be protected. I helped vaccinate people who came in droves to public
places for their polio shot. The children received oral vaccines.
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- General comments
- I still have the receipt for the "serum" that was injected in my spine in
1941. My parents paid $60 for that. I am now 76 years old and have recently been
diagnosed with post polio syndrome because of weakness in my lower extremities.
My memories of that day in 1941 when my father took me to the doctor and then to
the hospital are quite vivid. I feel blessed that I recovered completely and
still remember the fear people had of infantile paralysis and the two epidemics
that killed or paralyzed so many children and adults.
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