Several polio survivors and members of the medical community have come forward with their own personal stories surrounding the crippling illness. In 1944, Fargo, North Dakota, resident Dale Stenerson was diagnosed with polio at the age of nine and spent a good portion of the next two years inside an iron lung, a common treatment program at the time. Betty Simonson, a former nurse who also lives in Fargo, recalls a time when a shortage of nurses who were trained in operating the iron lungs caused interruptions in treatment. Once patients graduated from the iron lung, they were placed inside rocking beds that would slowly swing them from the lying position to standing upright, helping them to enable their diaphragms and ideally breathe easier.

For the full article, visit GrandForksHerald.com.