The Thomas J. Boyd Museum in Wytheville has an exhibition on the devastation that Polio caused the town in 1950. The outbreak was one of the worst recorded, and to this day, no one can figure out why so many people contracted the disease. At the end of the exhibit, visitors can record their Polio-related memories on index cards. Below are transcriptions of some of the comments people have left that help us understand the effect Polio has had on our town and nation.
Learn from recorded history below!
“I was a student nurse at Roanoke Memorial Hospital when a polio epidemic raised its ugly head. One entire unit at the hospital was isolated as the ‘polio unit.’ Such a situation has never since occurred in my life. I spent at least six weeks working with these patients, both in and out of the iron lung. Those memories remain with me today, after all these years. Thank God for research that led to the vaccine that prevents that dreaded disease. This museum visit has provided me with a knowledge that, for sure, God is good!”
“I was born in 1943. My mother was in constant vigilance for me to get to bed early, not sit on the ground, not get cold – all for fear I would get polio. Thankfully we lived during the time of the sugar cube vaccine.”
“I was born in 1949. When I was in grade school we were given the polio vaccine in school. I hated needles. Looking at how others were affected by this disease made me cry. It makes me greatly appreciative of those needles and being vaccinated against such a terrible illness.”
“I was born in 1952, but I remember in later years passing polio houses as my parents telling us to hold our breath as Daddy, who normally would lose a race with a turtle, sped up to pass the danger.”
“One of my classmates, when I was 9, was thought to have polio. The school nurse took us home on a school bus, stopped at each house to explain to parents. Since I was the last off the bus, my mother who had heard what was happening thought it was me who had polio. She was so happy I didn’t. My youngest sister received the experimental [?] vaccine.”
“My second father had polio after he came back from WWII. He said it was the most painful thing he’s ever experienced, but he did recover to have an absolutely normal life.”
“I am 66 y.o. I remember walking from elementary school to a building in town. My name started with B and there were no A’s. I was in 1st grade and got the 1st shot. Very scary.”
I’d like to order the polio in Wythe Co. book
Mr. Winship I am checking in to see if you are still interested in purchasing the polio book? If so please email me at wch_library@wytheville.org and I can connect you with the person to speak with.