NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021 A3 Baker City woman a polio survivor By LISA BRITTON lbritton@bakercityherald.com A virus changed Gloria Schott’s life. Not the virus that has so dra- matically aff ected society today, but one of many years ago — a virus that mostly aff ected chil- dren and is now nearly eradi- cated from the world. Schott was diagnosed with polio when she was 3½ years old. “On Oct. 9, it’ll be 75 years. I lived instead of died,” she said. Schott was living with her family in Weiser, Idaho. She’s heard stories of how her illness began. “I’ve been told it was my uncle’s birthday and I wouldn’t eat ice cream. Shortly thereafter I started to fall,” she said. Her parents took her to the local doctor. “He immediately diagnosed me,” she said. And immediately isolated her. Schott was admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise on Oct. 9, 1946. Her parents were not allowed to see her. She said her mom got a job at the Table Rock Cafe in Boise, and would come to the hospital after work to peer at her daughter through a crack in the door. Schott remembers want- ing her mother. She would call out: “Mother, mama, where are you? I need you!” “And she was standing right there,” she said. Contributed photo Education assistant Kim Brown, left, accepts the Crystal Ap- ple Award from Ryan Gerry, Grant Union High School’s prin- cipal. Crystal Apple Award winners announced Lindy Cruise In the selection commit- tee’s letter to Cruise, Prairie City School District’s agri- cultural science and tech- nology instructor, the com- mittee noted that it looked at Cruise’s leadership in the school and the community as well as her overall con- tribution to her students. In the award letter, the committee referenced quotes from those who nominated Cruise: “She does everything she can to make Prairie School better for the kids and that’s what teaching is all about.” “She is a hard working individual. She has turned that FFA/AG program around with her getting the grant for the greenhouse Kim Brown According to Brown’s bio page on the Grant High School website, she started her career with the Grant School District 3 in 1998 as a fi rst-grade teacher’s assis- tant at Humbolt Elementary School. Five years later, Brown transferred to Grant Union’s special education depart- ment. In 2008, she spent one year at Mt. Vernon Mid- dle School and then began working at Grant Union High School in 2009. “The staff here at the High School are great and I am still doing what I enjoy most,” she notes, “working with students.” The committee shared a quote: “Anyone that works with Kim or has worked with her in the past agree she is a very caring and compas- sionate educator. She has always shown dedication to her job and truly cares about the students she is work- ing with. Kim works easily with all levels of kids. She is compassionate, patient, ded- icated, and reliable. “Her willingness to step up has always been appar- ent but especially during the early days of COVID. When others felt they should not be forced to work, Kim was distribut- ing breakfast and lunch to students in the district. Not only was she dropping off the food, she talked to the students, asked about their well being, and was a familiar, caring face during a tough time. She would even ask the offi ce staff and administration if they needed help, and she was always ready for any task.” Schott had contracted the type of polio that caused paral- ysis. When she regained some movement, the hospital staff would put her on the fl oor and let her explore. “I did the army crawl,” she said. She distinctly remembers crawling down the hall and into a room fi lled with patients in iron lungs — a tube-like machine that provided breathing support for polio patients suff ering paralysis of the diaphragm. “The whole fl oor was polio,” she said. Schott had heard the voice of a patient through her wall — the voice was deep and raspy, and she referred to it as “my boyfriend.” But when she crawled in dead polio cells. Schott received that vaccine. Although she’d already con- tracted polio, doctors told her parents that she could still catch the other strains. The vaccine would protect against all three. Growing up, the crutches and braces limited her physical activity, so jacks and marbles helped pass the time. And reading — a love that she credits to her second grade teacher, Ms. Holmes. During that year, every day Schott could choose a friend to eat lunch with in the classroom. As they ate, Ms. Holmes read “The Little House on the Prai- rie” series of books. “She instilled a love of read- ing,” Schott said. There were some times when her special abilities were sought for a playground game. “They’d get me sometimes for kickball. If I had a cast, it was solid,” she said, chuckling at the memory. “I could kick it out of the fi eld, and someone would run for me.” An invisible virus changed her life three-quarters of a cen- tury ago, but Schott said it also created the person she is today. “I think who I am, my pas- sions, and my concerns for those who are hurting, stem from this,” she said. But she’ll never forget that virus. “I’m never free of it,” she said. “I thought with time I would be, but polio still has a hold of me. I have no memory of not having polio.” COVID claims two more Grant County lives By STEVEN MITCHELL Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY — COVID- 19 has snuff ed out the lives of two more Grant County residents. The county’s 11th and 12th COVID-related fatali- ties were an 86-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman, the Grant County Health Department announced on Monday, Oct. 11. The department noted that both had underly- ing medical conditions and died at diff erent regional hospitals. According to the Ore- gon Health Authority, the 86-year-old man tested pos- itive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2 and died at the Boise Vet- erans Administration Hospi- tal on Friday, Oct. 8. No additional details were immediately available about the death of the 81-year-old woman. As of Monday, Oct. 11, Oregon’s death toll from the disease was 4,002. Accord- ing to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Pre- vention, the nationwide total of COVID-19-related deaths stands at 715,000. Showing Movies Since 1940! 1809 1st Street • Baker City October 15-21 NO TIME TO DIE Fri- Sun Mon-Thurs Sunday, Oct. 31 W HAT’S HAPPENING Friday, Oct. 15 American Legion Auxiliary meeting • 2 p.m., Grant County Chamber of Com- merce, John Day All members of the Ellis Tracey Unit are encouraged to attend. Halloween Day Clay Pigeon Shoot • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Brad and Julie Smith’s B Bar J Ranch, Highway 402 near milepost 9 Prizes awarded for women’s, men’s and kids’ clay pigeon shoot, which costs $3 per round. Bring your own pumpkin for the pumpkin chunkin’ shoot. The event, a benefi t for Mon- ument High School’s Flying Tigers Club, will feature concessions, a live auction and a des- sert auction. Halloween costumes are welcome. A meal of ribs, beans, cornbread and corn on the cob will be available for $12 per person, or $10 for kids 9 and younger. For more information, call 541-934-2143. (PG-13) 3:30, 6:45 6:45 VENOM Friday Sat & Sun Mon-Thurs (PG-13) 4:00, 7:00 1:00, 4:00, 7:00 7:00 ADDAMS FAMILY 2 Friday Sat & Sun Mon-Thurs (PG) 4:10, 7:10 1:10, 4:10, 7:10 7:10 **SHOWTIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY** S265007-1 www.eltrym.com (541) 523-2522 Stamped Leather Brush Friday, October 15 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Pumpkin Truck Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Friday Sharpe 8am - 5pm Mendy FNP Mendy Sharpe FNP Apppointments available “Billie” Bullard is celebrating her 100th birthday October 18. You may remember her from her time as a Lionette, Elk, craft fair particpant, senior center regular, or any bingo gathering. Billie will be at the Senior Center in John Day on October 18 at about 11:30 during meal pickup. Stop by to give her a birthday greeting. She would be delighted to receive birthday wishes by letter or card as well, sent to P.O. Box 337, Mt. Vernon, Oregon 97865. S265031-1 Saturday, October 16 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM Western Headstall 5 Sessions: Mondays, October 18 - November 5 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Email us: paintedskycenter@gmail.com Call us: 541-575-1335. Follow us on Facebook Visit us: www.paintedskycenter.com 118 S Washington Street, Canyon City, OR 97820 S263288-1 Last chance to play golf. Goblin Open and Sunday Slam Finale is October 31, 2021. S259432-1 JOHN DAY — Two Grant County educators have been honored for their dedication to area youth with Crystal Apple Awards. The Grant County Edu- cation Service District selection committee named Lindy Cruise from Prai- rie City High School as the licensed winner and Kim Brown from Grant Union High School as the classi- fi ed winner. Robert Waltenburg, ESD superintendent, said the dis- trict has two award catego- ries: licensed individuals and classifi ed employees. “We want to recognize all school district employ- ees and volunteers because every single person in our schools helps us to edu- cate kids,” Waltenburg said. “But these two rose to the top.” In June, the service dis- trict solicited nominations for the award from across the fi ve school districts in Grant County from staff , students, parents and any- one else in the community. and the Farm to School program.” It was obvious, the com- mittee told Cruise, that she is highly respected by her peers, students, families and community. S263297-1 139101 By STEVEN MITCHELL Blue Mountain Eagle Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald Gloria Schott on her front porch in Baker City on Oct. 5. Schott was diagnosed with polio 75 years ago, on Oct. 9, 1946. there, and lay beneath the iron lung to see the patient’s face, she discovered that her “boyfriend” was in fact a teenage girl. “The last time I saw her, she walked into a clinic with crutches and braces up to her hips,” Schott said. Schott left the hospital on her fourth birthday — Feb. 28, 1947. “They saved my life,” she said. “I wasn’t supposed to live. They told my parents I would die.” But though polio spared Schott’s life, the virus never truly left her. She used crutches until she was 13, and wore a brace on her right leg for many years. “They were terrible. Solid metal,” she said. The hospital stay was fol- lowed by physical therapy and hydrotherapy during the week, as well as four surgeries — three on her right leg, one on her left. Schott became an ambassa- dor for the hospital, and partic- ipated in fashion shows to help raise money for a new building. She also became a poster child for the March of Dimes. Schott still has the posters and fl yers, as well as the blue dress she wore. The March of Dimes was founded by President Frank- lin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as a nationwide eff ort to eradi- cate polio. Much of the money raised helped fund research to develop a vaccine. Some of that funding went to Dr. Jonas Salk, who devel- oped a vaccine made from 1:00 shotgun start with lunch at the Hideout prior to golf. Belt buckles and year end awards will be issued after the golf event. Sign up your two-person team today. Dave Lewis dave.lewis@silvies.us or call 541-413-2216. Silvies.us S265088-1