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Audio Clips: Polio Survivor Stories

• Noreen Abbot
• Robert "Zig" Burns
• Stephen Burwick
• Diane Murphy

What was it like to have polio in the 1950s and earlier? Listen to these voices of people who lived through the polio epidemics. Hear what happened to them as they became sick, what it was like in the hospital, and how polio has impacted their lives.

Noreen contracted polio at the age of 3. Her mother, who came from a traditional Chinese background, felt her daughter was "bad luck" because of her disability. As a result, she treated Noreen poorly.
Listen to the Interview [mp3, 240KB] - Transcript

Zig contracted polio in 1952 in Massachusetts when he was 12 years old. He has vivid memories of Children's Hospital Boston, which he recounts here.
Listen to the Interview [mp3, 400KB] - Transcript

Stephen contracted polio at age 12 in Worcester, Mass. He describes difficulty adjusting to the new limitations caused by post-polio syndrome and the significance of polio in his life.
Listen to the Interview [mp3, 130KB] - Transcript

Diane describes her experiences at the "special" school she was sent to after contracting polio. She was not allowed to go to the neighborhood public school because of her polio-related disabilities.
Listen to the Interview [mp3, 240KB] - Transcript

These voices were collected through the Polio Oral History Project, sponsored by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Harvard School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. For more information about the project visit the International Rehabilitation Center for Polio.