Lives Well Lived, by Post Polio Victoria Inc. (Australia, 2023) presents themes of achievement, memory and ongoing motivation among people impacted by polio. The film touches on work, goals and everyday strategies for participation, reflecting both individual experiences and group perspectives. Warm and candid, it honours physical and medical disability while recognising the role of career and community in shaping meaningful lives. Included in the Focus on Ability programme, Lives Well Lived invites audiences to appreciate resilience and capability without reducing people to their diagnosis. It will resonate with anyone interested in employment, community participation and the value of shared memories.
Well, that was a good talk. You're welcome. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. I did. I'm sure she did. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. I was a six-year-old. I was a fast runner. I liked hurdling and so on. And suddenly, you can't run, you can't walk. And it's almost, seems overnight. For me, it meant at three that I was taken to the GP. And my mother was told she was neurotic and go away. There was nothing wrong with this little girl that couldn't sit and was screaming in agony and so on and so forth. My mother, from the story that I was told ran up the corridor and then all of a sudden I couldn't walk anymore. So they went into panic and they called a neighbour and they rushed me to the children's hospital where I was diagnosed with polio. As soon as my mother got to, I guess, what was the emergency department and said I think my daughter's got poliomyelitis, I was taken from her. And that's the last I'll remember of my mother for many, many months. And because it was a virus, there was a lot of fear. And so we were sent off to Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital to be kept out of the way. It is a form of spinal cord injury in the end, but it's not done by trauma but by this virus. And so depending where it attacks the spine, it depends on where you're weak. In my case, it was fairly low down so it was my legs that were affected. They were both paralysed. I was in a thing called a double Thomas splint, which basically meant that I was in an iron, piece of iron, that tied me down on all four limbs. Mum would wrap me all with the bandages at night and that's how I slept. It was a very traumatic experience. I still remember it because I was in at home in bed and two guys in white coats just came in and carried me out, screaming out into the night, into an ambulance and I woke up in a ward. I used to get into serious trouble about not doing my exercises because we as polio survivors probably the most significant thing about the difference between us and the average kid of the fifties is that we were pushed. I used to see Dame Jean McNamara who was the doctor in Victoria for polio survivors. She used to tell my mother that not to mollycoddle your daughter, not to wrap her up in cotton wool, she needs to get up and do things. She's actually a lazy child and she should be scrubbing the floors. At about sixteen I was reflecting on my life and realised that the health system was not perfect. I decided that I was going to become a nurse to fix it. So I had to take the calipers off, get the shoes back down to flat, finished my general nursing, became a midwife as well and then went on and became a critical care nurse when critical care was being invented almost. I studied law at Melbourne Uni and I did a combined law arts course. I majored in French so I went for the postgrad. That eventually resulted in getting a French government scholarship to do a doctorate in Paris. Disability is not the end of the world as long as you get the right help because you can still have a full life. Despite the disability it's given me the strength and the courage to get on with life. I readjust my life after every little episode, not every little, every episode of going backwards. I readjust how I need to live my life and I just move on. That's what I do and that's what gives me the strength to keep going. The love and the care that my parents instilled in me and my brother in me has given me that strength to do what I'm doing and what I want to do for the community. That's what powers me on. I don't see myself as different and most of the people that love me don't see me as different either. They just know that's just Robin. People assume that a disabled person has a lesser quality of life. In other words, they don't value life as much as another person would. I can assure you it's not the case at all. We all have the same hopes and dreams and fears. We're all people in the end and it doesn't matter whether one is disabled or not in that respect. We all have the same value. ♪ ♪
Filmmaker
Post Polio Victoria Inc. is the filmmaker behind this entry.
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Post Polio Victoria Inc..
I was only 4 years Old When I Contracted Polio I had been making 'Mud Pies' out in an unmade Gutter.The first thing I knew I wasn't able to use My Right Arm or Leg. My Dear Late Mum and Dad took me up to the Wangaratta Hospital. Where they proceeded to do a 'Lumbar Puncture' to see if they could Identify what I had been struck down with. Yes it was Polio I was completely Paralysed down My right hand side. I was Quarantined in Hospital in Wangaratta Victoria. I can remember Mum and Dad having to Gown up each time they came to visit Me. I was Lucky enough not to have needed an Iron Lung. But spent 5 months up in Wangaratta Hospital. When I was finally allowed to go Home Mum worked Hard with Physio on Me with the Help of a Lovely Man called Mr Wilson He finally with Mums Help I was finally able to Walk again. I was to have Callipers Fitted but by this time I didn't need them much to the Surprise of those Ladies that were present fitting them.After I came Home from Hospital I had to Lie on a Hard Door on top of an Old Pram which was kept in the Alcove that had been made to fit a Refrigerator of those times. Where My Head and Arms were laying on a Dolly Splint my Arms were Bandaged to it. On recovery Mum never allowed Me to Play any Sport which I did went Mum wasn't looking. As I enjoyed doing things with the other Children. I finally Married at 19 years of age and had 4 Children within 5 years my Marriage broke up I remarried a few years later and had another 2 Babies plus an Ectopic Pregnancy. After My Last Baby was Born plus the Ectopic Pregnancy I used to become very Tired with Aching Muscles before this I Milked Cows Chopped Wood and Emptied Thunder Boxes Tin Toilets everyday. Also having to Heat Water in a Preserving Pan to Bath my Little Ones. I was a Clean Freak and even though I never had much everything had to be Spotlessly Clean. I was finally Diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I am al
A
Alice Shirreff19/08/2023
I got Polio at 4.5 years old was in an Iron Lung had no movement for several weeks. I have had a good life up to now played golf lots of dancing got married had 2 children so very blessed Now feeling the late effects of Polio so have had to slow down a lot I am 78 years now.
J
Julie Williams19/08/2023
This is a wonderful tribute to the fact that disability doesn't make you a lesser person. Polio made children fighters with get on with life attitude. Sadly there needs to be a Part 2 these children are now elderly and have to deal with Post Polio where there bodies fail them where just get on with it causes more damage. A hateful virus but I salute all polio survivors.
A
Au Bary19/08/2023
How wonderful the people with this disability fight to get on with life and not just wait for help all the best to them
H
Helen Murray18/08/2023
I lived in Melbourne and at the age of 15months I got Polio that was 1954 and now at 70 am going through Post Polio but have had a good life Married 3 children 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandson it wasnt an easy life but survived. Good luck to everyone living with this horrible disease.Helen McKeown
J
Janice Post18/08/2023
I am a polio survivor from the 1950's and am now suffering PPS. My Mother would not allow me to be put in hospital as being an epidemic she didn't think I would get the care I needed and put me through my exercises which I believe helped me greatly. I took up swimming whilst living in Darwin in my younger day and believe that helped me enormously over the years.
R
Robyn Aulmann17/08/2023
As a 6 yr old I caught polio and was nursed at homer in Wallacia on a farm I attended a normal school where I had to learn to make my way After a very active sport and school life I went Nursing and became a Midwife and 40 years later I can say I was very active in Guiding scouting and community activities. My Dad and Second sister encouraged me every hiccough when young Thanks.
H
Helen Bonynge16/08/2023
This is the story of three very special people ..thank you for sharing your lived experience of polio .. non of you ever gave up
D
Denese Hume16/08/2023
What an inspirational film. I had polio in 1950 enjoy life to the fullest I can. Thank you
I was only 4 years Old When I Contracted Polio I had been making 'Mud Pies' out in an unmade Gutter.The first thing I knew I wasn't able to use My Right Arm or Leg. My Dear Late Mum and Dad took me up to the Wangaratta Hospital. Where they proceeded to do a 'Lumbar Puncture' to see if they could Identify what I had been struck down with. Yes it was Polio I was completely Paralysed down My right hand side. I was Quarantined in Hospital in Wangaratta Victoria. I can remember Mum and Dad having to Gown up each time they came to visit Me. I was Lucky enough not to have needed an Iron Lung. But spent 5 months up in Wangaratta Hospital. When I was finally allowed to go Home Mum worked Hard with Physio on Me with the Help of a Lovely Man called Mr Wilson He finally with Mums Help I was finally able to Walk again. I was to have Callipers Fitted but by this time I didn't need them much to the Surprise of those Ladies that were present fitting them.After I came Home from Hospital I had to Lie on a Hard Door on top of an Old Pram which was kept in the Alcove that had been made to fit a Refrigerator of those times. Where My Head and Arms were laying on a Dolly Splint my Arms were Bandaged to it. On recovery Mum never allowed Me to Play any Sport which I did went Mum wasn't looking. As I enjoyed doing things with the other Children. I finally Married at 19 years of age and had 4 Children within 5 years my Marriage broke up I remarried a few years later and had another 2 Babies plus an Ectopic Pregnancy. After My Last Baby was Born plus the Ectopic Pregnancy I used to become very Tired with Aching Muscles before this I Milked Cows Chopped Wood and Emptied Thunder Boxes Tin Toilets everyday. Also having to Heat Water in a Preserving Pan to Bath my Little Ones. I was a Clean Freak and even though I never had much everything had to be Spotlessly Clean. I was finally Diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I am al
I got Polio at 4.5 years old was in an Iron Lung had no movement for several weeks. I have had a good life up to now played golf lots of dancing got married had 2 children so very blessed Now feeling the late effects of Polio so have had to slow down a lot I am 78 years now.
This is a wonderful tribute to the fact that disability doesn't make you a lesser person. Polio made children fighters with get on with life attitude. Sadly there needs to be a Part 2 these children are now elderly and have to deal with Post Polio where there bodies fail them where just get on with it causes more damage. A hateful virus but I salute all polio survivors.
How wonderful the people with this disability fight to get on with life and not just wait for help all the best to them
I lived in Melbourne and at the age of 15months I got Polio that was 1954 and now at 70 am going through Post Polio but have had a good life Married 3 children 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandson it wasnt an easy life but survived. Good luck to everyone living with this horrible disease.Helen McKeown
I am a polio survivor from the 1950's and am now suffering PPS. My Mother would not allow me to be put in hospital as being an epidemic she didn't think I would get the care I needed and put me through my exercises which I believe helped me greatly. I took up swimming whilst living in Darwin in my younger day and believe that helped me enormously over the years.
As a 6 yr old I caught polio and was nursed at homer in Wallacia on a farm I attended a normal school where I had to learn to make my way After a very active sport and school life I went Nursing and became a Midwife and 40 years later I can say I was very active in Guiding scouting and community activities. My Dad and Second sister encouraged me every hiccough when young Thanks.
This is the story of three very special people ..thank you for sharing your lived experience of polio .. non of you ever gave up
What an inspirational film. I had polio in 1950 enjoy life to the fullest I can. Thank you