Karen Clark

Karen was Claude Clark’s and his wife, Avis’s, daughter. She was blonde and my age. The Clarks also went to North End Baptist Church so I knew Karen both in school and church.

The Clarks were in my folk’s circle of friends and occasionally after church we would eat at our house or at the Clarks. One Sunday when we were in the 3rd or 4th grade, they had come over after church and after the meal Karen and I were playing on the front porch while the grownups were talking inside.

Karen began to complain about feeling bad and eventually the party broke up so her parents could take her home. During the next few days they got her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with polio! This disease is virtually unheard of in the US these days, but it was relatively common in the 50s in the US.

I recall visiting her while she was lying in an iron lung – google it. She needed it to breathe. Eventually she was fitted with a brace to compensate for her atrophied leg muscles and returned to school and church.

She always walked with a limp but never complained or whined about the discomfort or the activity that she could only watch.

My mom and Avis conspired when we were in junior high school to have me invite her to a school dance.

My age group was one of the first to have the Sabin and then the Salk Polio vaccine.