From a tutu, to the library, MI5 and Adelaide. Anne’s classical story of determination

I contracted polio during the epidemic in the UK in 1952 when I was 19. At the time I was at classical ballet school in London preparing for my final exams. My symptoms were severe back pain and stiffness in my legs so, no more dance classes.

After a few weeks of not knowing what ailed me, I went to see a specialist in my home city of Oxford. It was he who diagnosed Polio and arranged for me to go into hospital.

I spent about two months at the Wingfield Orthopaedic Hospital in Oxford receiving treatment in the way of swimming (being lowered into the pool and raised out of it by a sort of metal crane!) and other exercises. It soon became obvious that fortunately I had quite a mild case as my fellow-patients had much less movement than me, and many were in iron lungs.

It became quite clear that I would not grace the stage as a classical dancer, but I recovered enough to pass my exams as a teacher and went on to teach ballet part-time for the next 25 years. I was limited in what I could do myself – no elevation meant I could not perform all the movements but made use of a senior student, and a morning’s teaching saw me pretty whacked!

Part-time teaching ballet was not enough to sustain me in an independent life in London, so I worked at various other jobs over the next 30 or so years. I really have had a very exciting and varied career since those far-off days of 1952.

I started to train as a librarian but found that a bit boring – a girlfriend persuaded me to try for a clerical job at the War Office and when I was accepted as a filing clerk (very lowly pay!) I discovered I would be working for MI5!

And so there I stayed until 1957 when my daughter was born. When she was five years old and her little brother was only nine months, we all moved to a new life in Australia, first in Sydney for two years and then settling permanently in South Australia.

We lived in the Adelaide foothills and with both children now at school I started my own ballet school, being still quite physically strong, though elevation did not come back, and I could never run.

It must have been in about the early 1980s that I began to realise some things were hard work, such as climbing up onto a chair or putting on tights! Then I heard something on radio about people who were getting polio-like symptoms again after many years. And so, very slowly, which was lucky for me, my physical strength began to deteriorate. My GP at the time had no knowledge of post-polio or Late Effects of Polio and, being in the country, there did not seem to be any help available. Luckily, I discovered Polio Oz online and Polio SA and realised I am only one of many thousands of polio survivors.

It seems grossly unfair and discriminatory to me that polio survivors over the age of 65 are not eligible for any benefits under the NDIS. WHY has our section of society been excluded? Is the government just waiting for us to disappear as we surely will?

I am now 86 and limited in movement but still enjoy a full life. I use a stick outside the house and trekking poles for short walks. Quite soon I will probably need a more expensive mobility aid, such as a scooter or powered wheelchair, but that will be very difficult without some government help.

I am very lucky in that my husband is an immense help to me and does far more than his share of household chores.

We both enjoy short walks and drives around our lovely corner of South Australia. It has been very enlightening and rewarding to participate in some ZOOM and webinar sessions, organised by Polio Oz and Polio SA recently and I feel I have made new friends right around the country.

Anne Weddle