Johnny Starts the Wheels Turning, Program No. 13
The exact date of this episode is unknown. We've filled in the date above with a placeholder. What we actually have on record is: 1955-uu-uu.
On a hot day picking potatoes on his family's farm, 11-year-old Johnny Earhart falls ill. At first, his father thinks it is a simple case of sun stroke. However, after examining his symptoms - slight fever, headache, stiff neck, difficulty breathing - his mother insists that they call the doctor. Just as she fears, the boy has contracted poliomyelitis. The doctor diagnoses the bulbar type of polio, the most dangerous form that attacks the base of the brain.
With few resources, the family relies on the generosity of the county to provide accommodations and financing for Johnny's recovery. Empire County Health Commissioner, Dr. Walter Bell visits the community and teams up with the local newspaper to publish a story warning of the symptoms and recommended steps. The story concludes as Johnny's parents reflect on his steady recovery - the only case of polio in their community - and the help they received from New York State, "...a good state to raise a family...a good state."
[The Story of Empire County aired in 1955.
Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection
WNYC archives id: 150771
Municipal archives id: LT1890
