Tom Purcell: Seventy years ago, we beat polio

Tom Purcell: Seventy years ago, we beat polio

She came home with a high temperature, feeling very ill. The next morning, her legs gave out when she tried to get out of bed. By that evening, she was so weak she could barely move. It was 1951 when polio struck her. She was 12 years old, just starting eighth grade. The nation was in a panic. The ambulance driver wouldn’t take her to the hospital, fearing other patients might become infected. Her uncle had a car. Despite unknown risks to his ow…