Ina’s Story
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In 1944 on Labor Day, I was just 18 months old, and my mom was pregnant with my little brother. I tried twice to stand up in my crib, but I couldn’t. Upon seeing I had a high fever, my father bundled me up and brought me to see our family doctor, Dr. Suna, who also lived in our building. He did a spinal tap and was able to confirm that I had polio. There had been a polio epidemic sweeping through New York City, but now it had come to Brooklyn.
Staying Home
I was taken to the hospital, but when dad surveyed the polio ward and saw the other children left alone in their beds with only once-a-week visits allowed by their families, my dad and Dr. Suna refused to leave me. So, we went back home, and I stayed under the care of Dr. Suna.
My mom also talked about how the neighbors shunned us fearing that I would cause their kids to get polio if they came near. So, it was lonely, especially in those early years when people really feared contagion. Even when the fear eased, I couldn’t keep up with other kids. I couldn’t run, skip, or jump due to the damage polio had inflicted. So, I usually just gathered up my coloring books and such and sat quietly near the adults and learned to become a committed listener.
The polio virus attacked my leg, causing it to lose neurons and muscle mass and giving me a distinct limp since I was walking on the ball of my foot. When I was three, my mother took me to see Maria Tallchief from the Ballet Russe in New York City hoping it would motivate me. My dad patiently did my PT exercise every day. When I complained that it hurt. He said, “Maria Tallchief wouldn’t stop.”
Sister Kenny Treatment
Dad learned about the famed nurse Sister Kenny and her technique for treating polio with strips of a wool blanket taken from boiling water, rung out and applied to the affected limb(s). When he found out Sister Kenny was in New York, he called every hotel until he found her and then begged her to treat me. She wasn’t going to come because her protocol was to treat only in hospitals. But my dad was persistent. He called back and agreed to pick her up and bring her to our home. Sister Kenny wouldn’t budge from the car until she was personally escorted by my doctor. She wanted to be sure a physician was always present when she did her treatments. Once Sister Kenny entered, she saw me in a cast that had been put on in an attempt to correct my foot drop. She immediately cut off the cast and flung it across the room exclaiming, “The child has polio, not a broken leg!” From there, she applied the wet, hot wool strips to my skinny leg.
Orthopedic Surgery
By age eight, I was recommended for a surgery to lengthen my heel cord. The orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Fett, was also orthopedist to the Brooklyn Dodgers. However, in those days they didn’t explain hospital procedures much in advance—especially not to kids. And really, medicine wasn’t as advanced, so many people didn’t have great faith in the outcome of a hospital visit. From what little I could piece together, I thought I was going to die. I said goodbye to my friends and gave away some of my treasured possessions.
When I woke up after the procedure, I realized I had a second chance at life! The surgery turned out to be a success and helped improve my walking. As I grew, I was able to walk without crutches or a cane. But polio has of course left its mark on me. One leg is three inches shorter than the other. And I have a two-size discrepancy in my shoes.
Post Polio Syndrome
In my early adult years, I was able to walk well enough to “pass” for someone without a disability. That started to change in my 40s. A host of symptoms from fatigue to muscle fatigue to difficulty swallowing started to appear. Most doctors didn’t seem to have much of a clue. After eliminating many other potential causes, we came to post-polio syndrome (PPS). Among those of us who had polio in our younger years, between 25% – 40% end up with PPS. When polio virus first invades, big nerves may be damaged, but smaller ones nearby stretch themselves to help out. Eventually, you get older and these little nerves just break down. The result is, for someone like me, I’m in a wheelchair now.
Wanting to Soar
I parlayed my childhood surviving surgery into a kind of gusto for living. I’ve sky-dived, scuba-dived, whitewater rafted, even skied on one leg. Not because I wanted
to court danger, but because I wanted to experience that incredible freedom of movement.
Ina’s Message About Immunizations
Someone interviewed me during the COVID-19 pandemic. They wanted to know if the pandemic fear and waiting for the vaccine felt familiar at all. It really brought the polio epidemic period back to me when people were scared. No one would go to swimming pools or movie theaters. There was a lot of fear. You can bet I was one of the first to roll up my sleeve to get the COVID-19 vaccine! Nowadays, one of my greatest joys is that friends and family will call me to let me know that they’ve vaccinated their kids. It’s wonderful!
I know most parents today don’t see diseases like polio like I did when I was growing up. But that’s because vaccines came along and now polio is almost eradicated. It’s wonderful that kids today don’t have to worry about polio and measles because of vaccines. What’s not so wonderful is getting blasé about these diseases. Polio is a frightening disease. Measles complications could take away your hearing. We live in an era where we can prevent so many diseases that used to take children’s lives. I don’t want people to ever forget how vaccines continue to save generations across the globe from polio. Twenty million children are walking because of the polio vaccine. Someday, we hope to eradicate it. Until then, we need vigilance in protecting our precious kids.
See also Ina’s Story in the Rotary Magazine, Ina Pinkney: Her Journey with Polio as a Child (Washington Post, Opinions, Dr. Learna Wen) and Ina’s documentary film, Breakfast at Ina’s
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