ATIVE Nonfiction

NARRICTION

Fear Hope
NONF n that uses

From
tio s
nonfic y technique
li t e r a r

to
Bettmann/Getty Images (crutches); American Photo Archive/Alamy Stock Photo (boys); National Portrait
Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Estrellita Karsh in memory of Yousuf Karsh (Dr. Salk)
Science Lab/Alamy Stock Photo (background); The March of Dimes Foundation (wheelchair);

Nearly 100 years ago, a deadly virus called polio spread sickness and fear across America.
My grandmother told me about this frightening time. Her stories provide lessons—and hope—
for what we’re facing today. By Lauren Tarshis

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 As You
Read
Think about the author’s purpose. What big idea does author
Lauren Tarshis want to communicate to her readers?
A Looming Threat for the family. My grandmother’s infection or a minor cut could turn

I
wish you had known my
grandmother, Jennie Ross.
She was warm and funny,
and I know you would have
loved her. (She definitely
grandmother was beautiful in her
pearl-white dress. I was particularly
fascinated by the flower girl, my
grandmother’s 10-year-old
cousin, Dolly Yasnitz.
Dolly and my grandmother grew
legs with leather straps. They kept up in the 1920s and ’30s. Their
her stable so she could stand. At parents and their parents’ siblings
my grandmother’s wedding, Dolly had all escaped from Russia. There,
used two wooden crutches to as Jewish people, they had faced
make her way down the hateful prejudice. The family came
cousin Isador was a gifted piano
player. She gave lessons to the
family, including Dolly. Isador grew
up to become a famous composer
for movies.
But over the happy times loomed
deadly.
Polio Mysteries
Many diseases plagued the
world in the early 1900s. But
polio was among the most feared.

Science Lab/Alamy Stock Photo (background); Courtesy of Lauren Tarshis (Dolly);

would have loved you.) Born in She reminded me of the aisle with slow, halting to the U.S. in the early 1900s and the ever-present threat of illness. Starting in the late 1800s, outbreaks

1920, she lived a long life. It was
mostly happy, but sometimes very
difficult.
Often my grandmother would
San Antonio Express (San Antonio); John Boyd/Globe and Mail (quarantine)
star of the movie The steps. settled in Chester, Pennsylvania. My grandmother and Dolly grew up occurred in the U.S. every few
Wizard of Oz. Dolly’s legs had been Life wasn’t easy. They worked before many modern vaccines and years. These outbreaks seemed
But as my grandmother damaged by a disease hard jobs in factories and shipyards. other medicines. In 1918, two years to explode out of nowhere like
told me one day, there was called polio. Until the 1950s, They struggled to learn English. But before my grandmother was born, a monsters in movies.

Bettman/Getty Images (remote learning)

tell me stories of her childhood
as we paged through her photo
albums. I especially loved her
wedding album, filled with glossy
photographs from 1938. My
something striking about Dolly
beyond her adorable smile. Under
her blue dress, Dolly’s little legs
were encased in metal braces. The
braces were bound tightly to her
polio was one of the most dreaded over time, the family made strides. pandemic of influenza killed more My grandmother had vivid
diseases in the world. It killed My grandmother’s father, Ben—my than 50 million people around the memories of when polio struck
thousands. Many of those who great-grandfather—became the first world. Outbreaks of measles and Chester. Her school would shut
survived, like Dolly, were left with Jewish police captain in Chester. mumps were common. And, in down for weeks or longer.
lifelong damage to their limbs. This was a source of great pride this time before antibiotics, an ear Stores and movie theaters 

How were polio outbreaks of the past like Covid-19 outbreaks today?
Deadly polio outbreaks in
the first half of the 1900s changed Kids Learned Remotely
In 1937, Chicago schools closed for three
the lives of millions of people across weeks because of polio. Computers hadn’t
America. Take a look at what the past been invented yet, so teachers taught
325,000 kids over the radio. Daily class
was like. How does it appear similar schedules were printed in local newspapers.
to the world today?

People Quarantined
During outbreaks, many were told to
quarantine at home. Public health
officials put signs on the doors of
homes where kids were infected.

Schools Closed
To stop the spread of
polio, officials closed
schools for weeks at a
time.

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and libraries would close. When
someone fell ill, the entire family
was forced to quarantine. In some
nearby towns, armed guards
were placed at train stations to
prevent outsiders from spreading
the illness. Hospitals became
overwhelmed.
Nobody knew what caused polio
or how it spread. And there was
no cure. Fortunately, most people
suffered only mild symptoms: a
fever, a sore throat, body aches. But
in severe cases, polio attacked the
nerves that control muscles and left
people unable to use their legs or
arms. If polio attacked the muscles
needed for breathing, the disease
could be fatal.
Scientists Raced to Find a Vaccine
Scientists worked for years to develop a vaccine to protect people from
polio. When it was announced in 1953 that Jonas Salk (above) had
developed one, church bells rang across the country.
8 Scholastic Scope • April 2021
Anyone could catch polio. But
the disease most often afflicted
children.
Fearing the Worst
As my grandmother remembered
it, Dolly was 6 years old when she
got sick. The family rushed her
to the hospital, fearing the worst.
Many children hospitalized with
polio died of it. Others spent
months in the hospital. There were
few medicines to ease their pain.
There were no shows to stream or
video games to play to help pass
the time.
Dolly did have a severe case.
But after a few weeks, she was able
to return home. My grandmother
TO
WHAT W
How Does the
and Dolly’s other cousins took who was infected ago, at the age of 92. I miss
KNO
turns visiting. They sang to her, didn’t wash their hands her deeply—and think
performed puppet shows, and read
aloud her favorite nursery rhymes.
thoroughly after using
the bathroom, they could Polio Vaccine of her constantly.
And the polio
Over the next year, Dolly learned
to walk using crutches and the
leave microscopic bits
of the virus behind on Work? stories she shared
are echoing loudly
braces that locked her legs in place. surfaces for another A vaccine is a substance that trains your through my mind these
She was able to return to school person to touch. The body to fight a particular disease. The polio days, as we all cope
and continue learning piano. She virus could then enter vaccine is made from a small amount of polio with a different disease:
was thrilled when my grandmother that second person’s virus that has been treated with a chemical Covid-19.
asked her to be the flower girl at her body through the so it can’t make you sick. The vaccine does, There are so many
wedding. mouth. however, trigger a response from your immune similarities. Like
During the 1940s and system. polio, Covid-19 was a
Polio Pioneers early ’50s, Americans Here’s how it works: Your immune system mystery to scientists
By the time of that wedding, organized an all-out mistakes the harmless vaccine for the real virus when it first appeared,
scientists had begun to solve some crusade against polio. and creates what are called antibodies to fight in December 2019.
of the mysteries of polio. They People across the the virus off. These antibodies remain in your Outbreaks have shut
would soon learn that it spread country volunteered body. If you ever come into contact with the down our schools, closed
through feces (poop). If a person to help raise money for polio virus, they spring into action and our restaurants and
research. Children sold destroy the virus. This is how vaccines libraries, and canceled
lemonade. Disney characters make you immune. our vacations and sports
Celebrities Helped like Mickey Mouse paraded seasons. And, like polio,
Raise Awareness across movie screens, urging Covid-19 has been a source of fear
In the 1950s, famous Americans, like
audience members to contribute. born, in the 1960s, polio was almost and uncertainty.
the actress Marilyn Monroe (below),
encouraged people to stay safe and helped “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho,” they sang. unheard of in the United States. But my grandmother’s stories
Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images (Dr. Salk); The March of Dimes Foundation (Marilyn Monroe); Science Lab/Alamy Stock Photo (background)
spread the word about the polio vaccine. “We will cure polio!” give me hope. We conquered
Millions of dollars poured into Lessons of Hope polio. This gives me confidence
laboratories where researchers Sadly, the vaccine couldn’t help that we will conquer Covid-19.
raced to develop a vaccine. And people like Dolly; her bout with Indeed, while I was working
in 1953, there was widespread polio left her with complications on this story, the first vaccines
jubilation when a 38-year-old for the rest of her life. Like my against Covid-19 were being
scientist named Jonas Salk grandmother, she married and approved.
announced that he had done so. started a family—but as she I will always have memories
The following year, nearly got older, the pain in her legs of this remarkable time we are
2 million children, known as “polio worsened. It became hard for her living through. And of course, so
pioneers,” lined up in their schools to work, to travel, to walk. She died will you. Perhaps one day, you
to receive the vaccine. Within a at the age of 71, in 1999. will pass your stories on to your
few years, polio cases in America My grandmother lived much grandchildren, with lessons that
had plummeted. By the time I was longer. She died just nine years will fill their hearts with hope. •
Writing Contest
FishCoolish/Shutterstock.com
The last section of the article is called “Lessons of Hope.” What lessons of hope does the story
of polio contain? Use details from the article to support your ideas. Send your response to Get this
Lessons of Hope Contest. Three winners will each get Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko. activity
online.
Entries must be submitted by a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 and older, who is the teacher, parent, or guardian of the student. See page 2 for details.
—
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