Ken who has written 6 mystery novels and is currently working on the 7th which has a working title "Casper Potts and the Ladies Casserole Club." Ken was born in Los Angles and grew up in Southern CA. At age 5 1/2 in 1943 he woke up and couldn't move to get out of bed. He spent the next 11 years in and out of hospitals as doctors tried to deal with the ravages of Polio. 59 years ago he married his childhood sweetheart Arlene. Together they had 3 children, 4 grand children and 9 great grand children. He worked for Pacific Telephone Company for 38 years. After retiring he started writing articles for Golf Magazine. He also wrote for Golf Digest, Golf Illustrated, and Golf.com. During 2 NBC Celebrity Golf Tournaments in South Lake Tahoe he interviewed Bruce Jenner, before he changed his name, Jim McMahon of Chicago Bears Football fame, Dan Quayle, former Vice President, Matt Lauer, journalist among others. He and his wife sing in the Healdsburg Community Chorus. They also have been a part of the Camp Rose players since 1991 and have worked in over 50 plays.
At age 6 he met the doctor who would work with him over the next 11 years to help correct the damage Polio had done. The goal was for Ken to walk with a normal gait which at the time was impossible.
Many people today are too young to understand what Polio was. Most parents would go to bed at night worried that they would wake up to find their children had polio. That is exactly what happened to him. One day he couldn't get out of bed. Polio wasn't the kind of disease that would kill you, it just paralyzes you. It would put you in a place where you had to try to deal with it, possibly for the rest of your life. The Polio epidemic nearly collapsed our medical system because of the large numbers. The treatment required was extensive. Every year 20,000 to 30,000 people would be diagnosed with the disease. After 20 years 700,000 or 800,000 people still being treated.
Fear of the disease was extreme. He showed a picture from the Chronicle 1933 showing a Girl Scout camp closed due to fear of polio. To show how stressed the hospitals were he showed a picture of a gym that had been converted to a polio ward. The backboards and hoops were visible at each end of the courts covered by beds with young children in them. Hospitals ran out of room quickly and had to improvise.
Polio patients lives were changed forever. Writing this book he realized how much his and his loved ones lives changed. He showed a picture of the Hospital he was in. He talked about the boys ward on the third floor. 14 beds were filled with boys from 6 to 12 years of age who had absolutely nothing to do - no TV, no radio, just lie in your bed. At any time this is a dangerous situation. The boys were in the ward awaiting or recovering from various operations to try to correct the damage of polio.
The first successful vaccine was made available in the 50s. The top of the page major headline announced a vaccine that was 80 to 90% effective against polio. The terror of polio was so severe it warranted a major bold print headline even though it was not 100% effective. People were so afraid of polio they accepted it as being a major breakthrough. The Salk vaccine was injected and was soon followed by Sabin Vaccine which could be taken orally.
After admitting that he is an avid golfer he showed a picture of a fellow (not him) playing golf wearing a leg brace. He then admitted "...polio people (survivors) are pretty crazy." Thanks to Rotary someday this disease will not exist. The Physical Therapy industry became a profession because of polio. As a society we learned more about the body and how its muscles work.
Many people today are too young to understand what Polio was. Most parents would go to bed at night worried that they would wake up to find their children had polio. That is exactly what happened to him. One day he couldn't get out of bed. Polio wasn't the kind of disease that would kill you, it just paralyzes you. It would put you in a place where you had to try to deal with it, possibly for the rest of your life. The Polio epidemic nearly collapsed our medical system because of the large numbers. The treatment required was extensive. Every year 20,000 to 30,000 people would be diagnosed with the disease. After 20 years 700,000 or 800,000 people still being treated.
Fear of the disease was extreme. He showed a picture from the Chronicle 1933 showing a Girl Scout camp closed due to fear of polio. To show how stressed the hospitals were he showed a picture of a gym that had been converted to a polio ward. The backboards and hoops were visible at each end of the courts covered by beds with young children in them. Hospitals ran out of room quickly and had to improvise.
Polio patients lives were changed forever. Writing this book he realized how much his and his loved ones lives changed. He showed a picture of the Hospital he was in. He talked about the boys ward on the third floor. 14 beds were filled with boys from 6 to 12 years of age who had absolutely nothing to do - no TV, no radio, just lie in your bed. At any time this is a dangerous situation. The boys were in the ward awaiting or recovering from various operations to try to correct the damage of polio.
The first successful vaccine was made available in the 50s. The top of the page major headline announced a vaccine that was 80 to 90% effective against polio. The terror of polio was so severe it warranted a major bold print headline even though it was not 100% effective. People were so afraid of polio they accepted it as being a major breakthrough. The Salk vaccine was injected and was soon followed by Sabin Vaccine which could be taken orally.
After admitting that he is an avid golfer he showed a picture of a fellow (not him) playing golf wearing a leg brace. He then admitted "...polio people (survivors) are pretty crazy." Thanks to Rotary someday this disease will not exist. The Physical Therapy industry became a profession because of polio. As a society we learned more about the body and how its muscles work.