Before the polio vaccine was available, an average of 50,000 cases were reported in the United States each year. Polio was one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century, with annual epidemics, primarily during the summer months. This often left thousands of victims—mostly children—permanently in braces, crutches, wheelchairs, or in iron lungs.

Holly had polio in 1942; here’s what she wants you to know.