roosevelt and his polio

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president with a significant disability. He was diagnosed with polio at the age of 39.  Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease. The virus can invade and infect a person brain and spinal cord causing paralysis. At the time there was no cure for polio and it often resulted in full or partial paralysis. 

During the fall of 1921, Roosevelt decided to take a step back from his political life and begin rehabilitation.  His rehabilitation process took place at his home in Hyde Park, New York.  FDR began routinely swimming three times a week in the pool and the pond. He discovered that his legs could support the weight of his body in the water easily, so he used swimming as his main form of exercise.  By the end of the winter that year, FDR had regained much of his strength and was much healthier. In January of 1922, he was fitted with leg braces which allowed him to stand with assistance, by the end of that spring. FDR decided that he was going to be able to walk the length of his driveway one day. Even though he never accomplished this task, he made it his goal and it motivated him to continue to get stronger. FDR wanted to be surrounded by happy people and good spirits. He would often have other come and watch him exercise so that he could have conversations and company.  FDR also involved his children and family in his exercise. At first his kids were upset to see their father in this state but eventually, they got used to it and helped him out daily with his exercises. FDR continuously worked hard and kept a positive attitude so that he could become healthier and stronger.

FDR made a lot of progress, after all his time at Hyde Park, but he was upset that he was unable to walk. Eventually, with the persuasion of his wife, he decided that it was time for him to return to politics. As he made his way back into politics he was unsure about how people would feel about his disability. But he was able to move forward with his political career. FDR wanted to prove that he was capable despite his disability. He created a method of walking in which he used a cane and the arm of his son or advisor for balance. He would move in a way to make it appear as if he was walking. Stairs were one of the biggest challenges for FDR, he learned to use his arms to support his weight so that he could swing his way down the stairs. Roosevelt asked the press not to photograph him in his wheelchair and for the most part, the press respected this request. As a result, there are not many images that can be found of Roosevelt in his wheelchair.

Although he focused mainly on his political career, Roosevelt put effort into assisting others who suffered from polio. The Warm-Hot springs in Georgia became the prime place for polio patients to receive therapy. On his birthday FDR urged people to make donations to the facility and ended up raising one million dollars for the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation.

FDR's disability made life more difficult for him. It made it harder for him to move around and also made it so people viewed him differently. But it also motivated him to prove himself. His wife Elenor Roosevelt often said that his disability was a "blessing in disguise." Despite his disability Roosevelt today is one of the most respected presidents in our history and is often viewed as a symbol of strength and perseverance by the American people.

https://fdrlibrary.org/polio
https://www.cdc.gov/polio/about/
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