MY STORY as told by Pauline Keyes
It is many years now since I got Polio. I was only 18 years of age.
I remember very well day, 18 September 1953. I was not feeling too good all day. I attended a dance and on my way home, I felt I was wearing Wellingtons. That night I woke with a very bad back and high fever and pretty useless. I was rushed to the nearest fever hospital and I was treated for 3 weeks, then I was sent to Cork Street Fever Hospital. It was a very old building and we had little physiotherapy to work with. Just a lady brought weights to us to exercise with.
We also had foot splints, wood, boy did they hurt us, but we were young. After 1 year I got out of bed and with crutches and splints we made our first big step with a lot of agony.
Cork Street was so cold but we had a big fire of logs and Sr. McCarty made sure we were looked after. There were big windows which we all found draughty. We had 2 cheerful men called Mick Keogh and M. Harridan, I am sure they are no longer with us but all in all we had a good laugh. I often sang a song or two and Joan Doyle and Joan Quinn were my best friends.
They realised that it was not good enough and we went to Cherry Orchard. That place was completely different – brand new with 4 to a ward mostly fever. It was in that place we got plenty of exercise, some summer evenings we slept on the veranda. I had not seen anybody and only my sister, after a year and a half my other sister came. My parents did try but could not bear to see me with two lifeless legs, and one weak arm. After 2 ½ years I came home. It was so strange not to be able to do the things I always did around the house which was a farm in Co. Laois.
We went to Our Lady’s in Dun Laoghaire, we were typing, shorthand and book keeping in which we all passed. Had a wonderful time there but I never was the same person again. I walked slow with callipers and crutches. Got a job in Jury’s, College Green, where I began to live again. Life wasn’t too bad after all.
Barbara O'Mally & Pauline Keyes (right) - 1963 Pauline Keyes - 1973
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