Room III

Voices of Survivors

History is told in numbers and machines — but it is lived in people. This room belongs to the survivors themselves: their memories, their words, their lives before and long after polio. Each story here was shared by someone who lived it.

A pair of crutches, a quiet symbol of the survivors whose voices fill this room — Artistic, AI-generated depiction

Below, you will find their stories — in their own words.

Voices of Polio Survivors

My Kids just knew

My kids just knew I needed help lifting and carrying...

Voices of Polio Survivors

The lesson I learned

The most important lesson I learned from polio is that...

Voices of Polio Survivors

Ankle reconstruction

I’ve had two ankle reconstructions on my polio leg. One...

Voices of Polio Survivors

Asking for help is difficult

Asking for help is difficult. I find this hard to do....

Voices of Polio Survivors

The greatest lesson

The greatest lesson polio has given me is to seek the...

Voices of Polio Survivors

I was only 7 years old

My parents were told I would never walk. I was...

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Room IV — The Late Effects (PPS)