FDR'S STRUGGLE WITH DISABILITY

The larger than life statue of President Roosevelt that resides in Room Three has been a source of controversy since the opening of the memorial. The statue, portraying a war-worn seated Roosevelt, has drawn criticism for its failure to show the President as he was...physically challenged. Opponents of the statue believe that the cape draped Roosevelt purposely hides this historical truth. History also shows that the people's perception of Roosevelt was quite different. What they saw was a man who was charismatic, a powerful speaker, and able bodied. With the country ravaged by the Great Depression and yearning for strong leadership, Roosevelt realized that he needed to continue this facade.

The Polio Virus Surfaces

The Roosevelt family had a summer home on Campobello Island, off New Brunswick, Canada. On August 9, 1921, Franklin Delano Roosevelt fell into the water while sailing. Reboarding the boat he felt chilled. Awaking the next day he felt extremely tired. His usual routine was to go swimming to refresh himself. "I didn't feel the usual reaction...," Roosevelt wrote later. "When I reached the house, the mail was in, with several newspapers I hadn't seen. I sat reading for a while, too tired even to dress." The next morning, Roosevelt recalled, "my left leg lagged...Presently it refused to work, and then the other."

By August 12, Mr. Roosevelt found it difficult to stand and even to move his legs. The pain in his legs were almost too much to endure. He further experienced partial paralysis in his back, arms, and hands. Originally, the doctors that were summoned misdiagnosed the symptoms. This unfortunate mistake cost valuable time in arriving at a correct diagnosis.

Dreadful Delay and Physical Acceptance

"While the doctors were unanimous in telling me that the attack was very mild...," he recalled, "I had, of course, the usual dark suspicion that they were just saying nice things to make me feel good." It was not until later that the doctors would identify the ailment as poliomyelitis, more commonly known as polio. In spite of the disability and the tremendous hours devoted to recuperation Mr. Roosevelt would not be kept out of public life. Through his years of personal struggle, he held a sincere hope of beating his paralysis, but he never walked unaided again. He would spend his waking and working hours confined to a wheelchair or utilizing extremely heavy leg braces.

As a result of his illness, Mr. Roosevelt developed a fear of fire. He worried that some day he would be trapped in a fire. Because of this fear he learned to drag himself across the floor using his arms and hands.

Road to Hopeful Recovery

Mr. Roosevelt exercised frequently and utilized swimming a great deal in an effort to regain some movement in his legs. "The water put me where I am, and the water has to bring me back," he said. He was referring to the swim in Canada he had right before the first attack of polio. He heard of a retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia where similar polio patients had found some relief from their ailments. Mr. Roosevelt would spend a great amount of time at Warm Springs relaxing and swimming in the pool of warm mineral water. He devoted not only time but also large amounts of his family's financial fortune in an attempt to discover a cure for his ailment. He eventually purchased the property and spent so much of his time there, it came to be known as the "Little White House." It was through his efforts that a young doctor named Jonas Salk became instrumental in developing a vaccine that would virtually eliminate the disease poliomyelitis.

Although his hard work and dedication lifted the nation from poverty and guided it through war, these two traits failed him in his quest to regain the use of his legs. The statue far from hiding his disability, captures Roosevelt at his finest moment, the waning months of World War II discussing with the Allied leaders the plans for world peace.