|
On a sparkling Spring day, November 2nd
2006, the 50th anniversary of the Salk Polio Vaccine was celebrated
at the beautiful Wilson Home in Takapuna. Ninety polio survivors,
spouses and family gathered to give thanks at a chapel service
for the anniversary of this vaccine .... this historic vaccine
which was discovered too late to benefit any of them.
Almost forgotten by most New Zealanders,
the now aging adults got polio as children before the vaccine
arrived here in 1956. These survivors are still sprinkled thoughout
society and carry within them the memories and the physical ravages
of polio.
Yet in a strange irony they enjoyed a day
of story-telling and reminiscing about their struggles in the
very home where they had been rehabilitated so long ago.
The Wilson Home for babies and children
with disabilities was founded in 1937 because of the polio epidemics.
This Home is a white stately mansion situated high on the cliffs
of St Leonard's beach, surrounded by tall mature trees and gorgeous
gardens. The wide verandas were ideal for laying out those with
infantile paralysis to benefit from the sun and sea breezes.
During the 1940's, 1950's, and into the early 1960's, the Wilson
Home was indeed a caring home for so many with polio. Some lived
there for several months and some for a number of years as their
bodies recovered enough to enter school and society.
As the mass immunisation campaigns against
polio circulated throughout the schools and around the country,
polio cases dropped off dramatically, and NZ was declared polio
free in 2000.
The memories of the fearful epidemics have
all but faded from the nation's psyche, but not from thousands
of survivors who are still living with the after effects of polio.
- To hear Bev Barnes' talk at the Chapel
Service, click
here
- To hear Doreen Chandler's comments, click
here
- To buy a DVD of the day (2h 30m) (Postage
included) click
here.
|
