Nancy
A Polio Story

In 1950, Nancy was six when she came down with a high fever and a stiff neck. The next thing she knew, she was alone in an ambulance bound for a hospital at the other end of the county. She barely remembers weeks in isolation, where nurses and doctors wearing face masks came and went. There were so many hours with steaming hot packs on her legs that she’ll never forget the smell of wet wool. Sixty years later, she can clearly remember the awful pain of the spinal tap that confirmed the polio diagnosis.  She says, “No wonder we polio survivors are so brave and fearless.” Later in life, Nancy developed post-polio syndrome. Read her full story on the PA Polio Survivor’s Network website.