Polio in the news

For those who lived during the polio years, recent headlines in the news may seem – well, like a “Did I hear that right?” moment. “Did they really mean, polio? Polio?”

It seems the disease that struck fear into our mother’s hearts – and panic within communities – is once again in the news. And the dark unknowns felt in childhood that were hidden away with youth, slowly rise to the surface, causing us to turn and look again into the past. For decades – for a lifetime, really – it was as if anything associated with polio had been put in a box and the lid sealed shut.

If you’re of a certain age, hearing the words “polio case in New York” may cause an unexpected, personal sense of alarm. Many can recall the eerie public education films about the polio virus. They were shown in schools during our childhood, and remarkably effective in instilling fear. In his 1997 book, A Summer Plague, author Tony Gould described the propaganda films:

“A figure leaning on a crutch – sinister in its invisibility – stalks the land like death itself, casting an elongated shadow over a farmer’s boy who is innocently helping his father feed horses, and over a pretty little girl sitting on the steps of her house. ‘And I’m especially fond of children,’ the voice-over intones with fiendish glee, as the boy wilts in the arms of his anxious father and the girl raises a hand to her fevered brow …”

Imagining those creepy films today, the sequel’s narrative would include, “When no one was looking, did the virus discover a tiny crack in the seal – and slip unnoticed, out of the box?”

The subject of polio can be a real conversation stopper – or starter – for many who lived through the time. The unknown. The fear. Loss. And more. I’d like to thank so many of you who have shared your personal experience of the polio years. The following is a comment posted on The Santa Claus Girl Facebook Page:

“I remember living through the polio epidemic. I was about 4 or 5. The little girl across the street and I would sit on the curb in front of each of our houses across the street from each other and talk because we couldn’t play together. She did get polio and died. Will never forget it even after all these years.”    —Donna W.

Thank you all or being so generous – and sharing stories you previously kept to yourself. We all learn, grow, and heal from our shared knowledge.

The Santa Claus Girl, set in New York City 1952, the height of the polio epidemic in the U.S., is a story of inspiration and hope.