Sawyers Boy Is Polio Case

SAWYERS, GOSSEN, LANG

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes (email)
Date: 3/24/2013 at 08:20:55

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; Aug. 25, 1955

SAWYERS BOY
IS POLIO CASE;
HAD VACCINE

Fourth Countian And
First Child Stricken;
Two Others Dismissed

John (Brody) Sawyers, eight-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sawyers, 518 Tenth Avenue, is in isolation at Blank Memorial hospital at Des Moines where he is receiving treatment for polio. He is the fourth county Polio patient.

Taken to the hospital Monday, young Sawyers had been ill for about ten days. He had recently been dismissed from Community hospital where he was treated for a virus.

Mrs. Sawyers said this morning that "Brody" may be in the hospital for several weeks. He is still running a temperature and has a stiff back and legs.

A third grader this year, the boy had been ill since two weeks ago Wednesday. Doctors sold Mrs. Sawyers that as a result of the virus, the youth may have been weakened.

The Sawyers boy had received the Salk polio shot this spring as a second grader.

Meanwhile the county's first two polio patients have returned to their homes. Mrs. Bill Gossen, first polio victim, and Mrs. Lawrence Lang have both been dismissed after mild cases.