In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

A bit of history.

Discussion in 'Everything Else (off topic)' started by Backwoods Savage, Jan 3, 2020.

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  1. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    HISTORY - on this day in history (January 3, 1938) UD President Franklin D Roosevelt created the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis. Once they realized that polio could also affect adults (which they should have already realized considering FDR contracted polio in 1921 at the age of 39) the Foundation became the "March of Dimes".

    A friend of FDR and well known entertainer at the time, Eddie Cantor, donated all proceeds from his song "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" to the Foundation thus "March of Dimes". This was almost a protest song from the days of the Great Depression in the 1930's.

    I had polio in 1947, well before the vaccine came out.
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 3, 2020
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  2. Chazsbetterhalf

    Chazsbetterhalf

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    That cool Dennis, thanks for sharing.
     
    Chazsbetterhalf, Jan 3, 2020
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  3. Chaz

    Chaz

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    Sorry you contracted polio Dennis.
    But glad that you were able to walk again.
    :yes:

    Also very glad it's been virtually eradicated.
    :thumbs::thumbs:
     
    Chaz, Jan 4, 2020
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  4. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    You'd never believe it but my martial arts instructor had polio as a kid. Sometimes, I notice a slight hitch in his get-along.
     
    yooperdave, Jan 4, 2020
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  5. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    Dennis, can you give a short write up about your polio experience? Did you think you may never walk again?
    Thank you sir.
     
    Jack Straw, Jan 4, 2020
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  6. jrider

    jrider

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    I just shared that with my mom who got polio in 1948 at the age of 4. She was told she would never walk again and then once she began to walk again a few short months later was told she would end up in a wheelchair at some point in her adult life. She’s 75 and still walking with the same limp she had as a kid although 3 years ago she had to have her hip replaced because her so called good leg had worn it completely gone from favoring it her whole life. Her biggest fear in life has always been being bound to a wheelchair. She was also told she would never be able to have kids...I’m the youngest of 5.

    Her parents became very active with the March of Dimes and leaders of collection in the Upper Darby section just outside of Philly. Their house was a “counting” house on collection nights. She remembers adults counting money all night long at their kitchen table. She also got to meet a bunch of movie and music stars back in the day. She was pictured with some of them on posters for the March of Dimes. To this day she is still an active donator to the cause.
     
    jrider, Jan 4, 2020
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  7. Woodwidow

    Woodwidow

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    In our area we had a doctor who firmly believed in the vaccine as he had a small group of people within his practice that would not vaccinate their children and he saw the results. We had classmates who suffered from the results as well as hearing about the adults. My age group is younger than Backwoods Savage and I am so glad the vaccine was available then.
     
    Woodwidow, Jan 4, 2020
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  8. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Sad but in several areas it is making a comeback. And what about these idiots who say nobody should have vaccinations for anything?
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 4, 2020
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  9. jrider

    jrider

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    My mom threw a fit with the doctor shortly after I was born in 1976 because they didn’t vaccinate me for polio. He told her it was eradicated here in the US and there was no longer a need.
     
    jrider, Jan 4, 2020
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  10. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    I guess the worst part was the day I woke up and could not move. Here I was a little boy, not even started school yet and I could not move. I was alone, upstairs. But I could hear my brothers and sister who were downstairs. I could not even holler at them. I fought and fought and tried to move and finally was able to swing my arms and by keeping it up finally rolled out of bed onto the floor. I remember my brothers and sister laughing and saying that Denny fell out of bed. They came running up the stairs laughing at me. My sister, being the oldest was the first to understand something was wrong. She told my oldest brother to run to the neighbor's where my mother was washing clothes. I guess he ran all the way too as they were all scared to death.

    I remember my father carrying me to the car, then to the doctor's office and then into the hospital. More scared... In a room with 2 other kids who also had polio. Then came the hot packs... That was maybe the worst Hell I went through. I can remember crying and begging them to not put them on because it hurt so bad. Shoot, it hurt enough even without them. I don't know if it was the weight of the packs or the heat which was the worst but think it was perhaps both. Later I was moved to a ward and remember laying there crying because other kids were up and out of bed playing. I remember the tinker toys. Thy must have had a dozen sets as they built some big things but all I could do was to lay there and watch.

    Fortunately I regained partial use of legs and they sent me home. Then it was several times per day that either my mother or sister exercised my arms and legs. Awful, but in time I was okay. Until I was around age 12 I was a runt, especially my legs. But suddenly I started to blossom a bit and kept getting better and better. Legs still give me problems but nothing like what it was like then.

    One thing that you might find interesting was one day I had to go to the University of MI hospital. Where I went (post-polio) when we walked in there were these strange looking wheelchairs. I had not seen any like that since when I was in the hospital in 1947. Boy oh boy did that ever give me the creeps. Strange feelings came over me.

    But that's enough. I thank the Lord that I was not left like so many who had it.
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 4, 2020
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  11. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Perhaps he did not know about the Amish?
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 4, 2020
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  12. Chazsbetterhalf

    Chazsbetterhalf

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    Thanks for sharing Dennis. I assume you had to wear leg braces for a while.
     
    Chazsbetterhalf, Jan 4, 2020
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  13. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    Dennis
    Thank you for sharing your experience! I wasn’t around during that time and it’s fascinating to me. I can’t begin to imagine how scary that was.
     
    Jack Straw, Jan 4, 2020
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  14. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Sadly Measles too.
     
    wildwest, Jan 4, 2020
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  15. Woodwidow

    Woodwidow

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    Yes, our area and the PNW were hit quite hard with measles last winter. Our Provincial government has a big push on to have all school children vaccinated this year. Parents who refuse to have it done, don't realize the agony and damage that can happen to their children. People like Backwoods Savage know only too well what it was like. campinspecter's sister suffered hearing loss from measles. Blindness is another effect. There is a whole generation of parents who were vaccine protected from the worst effects of these diseases that don't realize how horrible it can be without vaccines.
     
    Woodwidow, Jan 4, 2020
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  16. Chaz

    Chaz

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    2bxdkn.jpg

    Thanks for sharing your history with us.
    :tip:
     
    Chaz, Jan 5, 2020
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  17. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Sad that most health facilities now have big warning signs about measles. Do not enter if you have measles. Well duh. They should not have to be told... They should not have measles either...
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 5, 2020
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  18. timusp40

    timusp40

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    Quite a story Dennis. Having met you makes hearing your story really hit home.
    I remember getting the shots when I was a lad and even getting a dose on a sugar cube believe it or not.
    One of my best friends had suffered through it and unfortunately was picked on at school for his limp that he was left with.
    We got vaccinations for the other diseases also. We old timers have the permanent scars on our arms from them.
     
    timusp40, Jan 5, 2020
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  19. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Yeah, I was picked on in school until around 8th grade. That's when the class bully stopped picking for some odd reason.
     
    Backwoods Savage, Jan 5, 2020
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  20. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    Probably cause you educated him... just a guess, usually why bullies stop.
     
    Canadian border VT, Jan 5, 2020
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