Research+Paper+JWHberrypower55555

Polio: A curse for our president, or a blessing? Allison Shifflett April 11,2011 Many people found Franklin Roosevelt’s polio to be a burden, but in fact, it may have helped him be a better and more understanding leader. When Franklin Roosevelt contracted polio at the age of 39, he felt very defeated. However, he never gave up and he even went on to become the 32nd president of the United States. He was the only president to serve for 4 terms, and he was a favorite of many Americans. Being president during the depression, he helped give the people hope and the strength to persevere. With his polio, he knew that never giving up was a very important lesson to learn. Maybe that’s why he was such a great president during that time in the history of the United States.

Originally, FDR was embarrassed to tell anyone about his sickness, because he thought they would judge him. The public almost never saw the president sitting in a wheelchair or using braces, which he needed to walk. The press almost never photographed Roosevelt while he was in motion. ("HHMI's BioInteractive") He didn’t want the public to not take him seriously as a president with his crippling disease. He was very up front about it when asked, but he did not let them in on the exact toll it was taking on his body. Even with this setback, he never gave up and lead the United States to the best of his ability.

After a while, he learned to deal with his disease, and accomplished many things during his presidency. After only being in office for 100 days, Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the New Deal, a program to create new jobs for the American people during the depression. Some jobs in the New Deal still exist today! Even though he was a great president who passed many important laws, one of the best things he did was to help uplift America. He was always there to give comforting words and help the United States not get so down, about the economy. As he once said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Even when things felt like they were only getting worse, when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, he remained calm and did what was needed to do, to help the country get through it. He had “fireside chats” where he would have radio speeches in the evenings, to help the American people get to know him better. He always made sure his beloved country was getting the best it could. He knew how many people looked up to him and he wasn’t about to let them down.

Having polio and understanding what the other patients were going through, Roosevelt created the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, a therapy center for polio victims. When he was first diagnosed with the disease, FDR felt very alone, and defeated. He knew what they were going through and could help them by giving them advice and making them feel better about themselves and their disability. He often led therapy sessions with the patients at Warm Springs. Many therapeutic techniques for people suffering from polio were created here. Polio helped Roosevelt be more down to earth and understanding.

Besides being the 32nd president, Franklin Roosevelt was also a polio sufferer, which made him relatable. He may have been embarrassed and scared people wouldn’t accept his disability, but in the end, most people understood. He was a great president, getting the people out of the Great Depression. He also helped fellow polio victims who were going through what he had gone through. He was very understanding and kind. His polio turned out to be a blessing to many, as he gave other patients advice and helped them persevere. He used his advice to also help the American people persevere through the times they were going through too.

"Infectious Diseases." //HHMI's BioInteractive//. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. , 2010. Web. 11 Apr 2011. < http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/disease/polio/polio2.html>.

"Franklin ." //United States History//. Online Highways, n.d. Web. 13 Apr 2011. .