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You might have been told, "No, you CAN'T do that!  You don't have what it takes."  Well, this author thinks you CAN.

 

Dianne was born with polio after her mother contracted the polio virus in her ninth month of pregnancy.  In her new book, Somebody Told Me I Could, Dianne reveals her attitude of gratitude while she weaves the story of her life experiences.  Read an excerpt from Dianne's Memoir: Somebody Told Me I Could /A Polio Survivor Who's In It For The Long Haul here. 

Read an Excerpt

     Doc Smith was hoping against hope that Virginia McTaggart had not picked up the polio virus while swimming at the state park earlier that day.  He suspected that it was a strong possibility though—that polio had struck.

     It was a well-known fact that polio could be transmitted very easily in highly congested public areas like parks. On this day in particular, the danger was great because of the combination of high heat and bodies of water. Summertime meant polio in the early 1950's.  Entire towns feared that an outbreak would strike.

     Most family doctors recognized polio symptoms when they saw them, and Doc Smith was no exception. He had delivered many babies in his practice, but he had never had an expectant mother come down with polio before.

     By the time Virginia arrived at the hospital, her fever had gone up to 105 degrees.  Doc Smith ordered a spinal tap which was the definitive test needed to properly diagnose polio. Oh, how he wished that Virginia had not gone swimming.

     If the results of the spinal tap came back positive, he knew he would have to save the baby, though it would be almost a month premature. The thought of what could happen to Virginia and her newborn concerned him far more than he wanted to admit. He knew time was critical. He was also keenly aware that the baby's position had changed from where it should have been. In fact, when he examined Virginia's belly that night, he saw bulging areas that could only be from the infant's limbs pushing out. He had never seen anything like that before.