Daniel L. Reilly, Holladay, Utah: an interview by Becky B. Lloyd, February 13, 2010

Transcript (31 pages) of interview(s) by Becky B. Lloyd with Daniel L. Reilly on February 13, 2010

Reilly (b. 1936) was born in Salt Lake City. He contracted polio in 1951 at the start of his 9th grade school year. He describes getting sick. He was taken to LDS Hospital for treatment and placed in an iron lung for six weeks. His body was paralyzed from the neck down. While in the hospital he was treated with hot pack therapy and, once out of the lung, water therapy. In total, he was in the hospital just over two months. He describes getting physical therapy from a married nurse/doctor team, who used electrical stimulation in conjunction with traditional therapy. He regained most of the use of his arms, and very limited use of his legs with the assistance of braces and crutches. When in college he decided to use a wheelchair full time. He completed his primary schooling at home and graduated from the University of Utah. He describes the effects of post-polio syndrome, including the need for a tracheotomy in 1996 and a tracheostomy in 2000. Mr. Reilly worked for the State of Utah as a statistician for over thirty years. He is the father of two sons. This interview is part of the Polio Oral History Project. Interviewer: Becky B. Lloyd