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Shirley Duhart was two years previous when she bought polio in 1950. She talks to her physician, Dale Strausserher, about her love of footwear. Though she struggled to stroll, footwear grew to become essential to her.
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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
It’s Friday. And right here on MORNING EDITION, meaning it is time for StoryCorps. In 1950, Shirley Duhart bought polio. She was solely 2 years previous on the time. And though she struggled to stroll, footwear grew to become essential to her. She got here to StoryCorps with Dale Strasser, her physician for the previous three many years.
SHIRLEY DUHART: I used to be raised in excessive poverty in Vine City, Ga., and it was a segregated space on the time. But though my mom labored lengthy hours, the neighbors had been very caring and appeared out for us. And you dare not create an issue since you knew you had been going to need to reply for it when your mom got here house. But I feel a whole lot of that additionally drove my independence…
DALE STRASSER: Yeah.
DUHART: …To attempt to be as little of an issue as I could possibly be. One day I used to be within the yard taking part in. And abruptly, I mentioned, mama. Mama, I can not stroll. They realized it was polio, and he or she was very fearful as a result of that was the pandemic of the time. When I used to be younger, a bit of woman, I had the full-length iron brace, and I wore the high-top oxfords.
STRASSER: And these aren’t actual trendy footwear.
DUHART: Those usually are not trendy in any respect. They appeared like army boots, virtually. Then slowly, I improved some. And once I was within the eighth grade, we purchased some little pumps. Quite a lot of the neighbors got here out on the porch – mentioned, oh, Shirley bought on some gown footwear. It was sort of like a giant occasion as a result of that was a detailed neighborhood.
STRASSER: And how did that make you are feeling?
DUHART: It made me really feel that I had a bit of little bit of management over my state of affairs, contemplating I could not management the truth that I did have that illness.
STRASSER: I do keep in mind from our very first encounter, I prompt in a diplomatic method that you just actually ought to think about another footwear that would supply a bit of extra steadiness. Well, I heard in no unsure phrases that these footwear weren’t going to be modified.
DUHART: And you heard me, and also you’re most likely my longest doctor that I’ve had. I wished folks to see extra than simply my incapacity.
STRASSER: Right.
DUHART: I wished them to see an entire individual and a classy individual, an individual with a cheerful spirit. You know, I assumed that we had been all architects of our personal life, and all you have to do is simply make up your thoughts and go for it. But since perhaps 20 years in the past, I’m not as cellular, and all these cute, little footwear do not match fairly in addition to they’d earlier than.
STRASSER: But I do know your character. You’re going to stay in cost.
DUHART: Oh, sure. That’s the way in which I’m. Don’t let anyone else outline you. Define your self. And you realize, I’m 74, however I hope to dwell to be 95. And I’m going to die in these footwear.
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MARTIN: That’s Shirley Duhart and Dale Strasser in Atlanta. Their StoryCorps interview is archived within the Library of Congress.
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