President’s Message…
We had a great time celebrating CEPSA’s 10th anniversary at the April 28th meeting. Ten years is quite an accomplishment and we are looking forward to the next 10!
We enjoyed the polio stories shared by some of our new members: Dianne Falgiani, Beverly Polin, Velma Underwood and her sister Sharon Underwood and Adrienne Stallworth, who also shared an amazing story about her mother who had polio as well.
Our polio stories are important to CEPSA and an important part of America’s history. Our stories deserve to be told! We want to recognize the people behind each story for their strength, determination and courage by featuring them in CEPSA’s newsletter and Memory Book. I encourage you to write your story and mail it to me along with copies of pictures for the Memory Book.
This is an ongoing project, there is no deadline. We just want to preserve our history so when all is said and done we can fulfill Cheryl Brackin’s dream, which is to donate CEPSA’s Memory Book and History Books to the Historical Society.
God Bless,
Diane Davis, President
Attention all polio survivors who receive CEPSA’s Newsletter.
CEPSA wants our family members to receive our monthly newsletter to help inform them of vital post-polio health information and the latest in CEPSA’s progress. Please send your names and addresses to:
Marty Foxx
23 East 61st Street
Savannah, GA 31405
A special thank you goes to
Beverley Polin for donating a scooter to CEPSA.
S.O.S. – Spotlighting Our Sponsors
Boone & Jeff Knox
Knox Foundation
P.O. Box 26
Thomson, GA 30824
Thank you for your generous donation to CEPSA!
Member Concerns
Harriett Merritt Betty Hope Diane Davis
Idella Stevens’ husband Gloria Sullivan
Beverly Jarvis and her mother, Delphine Dean
Please remember these in your prayers.
Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association, Inc. General Meeting Minutes, April 28, 2007
President Diane Davis opened the meeting at 10:40 am by welcoming everyone. She also thanked Cheryl Brackin, Dot Parkhurst, Ruth Parham and Lorraine Frew for all of the refreshments.
The minutes were approved as published. Janet DiClaudio gave the Treasurer’s Report.
Care Team Report: Janet DiClaudio read a card from Ruth Parham thanking us for her scooter. Ruth added a few comments afterward. Cheryl Brackin thanked the group for her scooter also.
Beverly Polin announced that she has a scooter that she is donating. She said that it was her husband’s and she cannot use it. A brief discussion regarding payment for scooters followed.
Dan Shehan reported on the map project. He stated that 14 new curb cuts were made in the historic district in April and that the next cuts will be all along Drayton from Bay south to Gaston.
Lavonne Calandra reported that the first draft of the new member directory is done. She circulated it for the members to verify and make corrections as necessary.
Door Prizes: Gigi Veccia, Tony Falgiani, Lavonne Calandra and Cheryl Brackin won car washes donated by Auto Shine and Dorothy Causey won a wallet donated by Betty Goff.
Program: Lorraine Frew and Cheryl Brackin gave a brief overview of our organization. Both of them stressed the importance of Shirley Carnell. It was her dream to have a support group, be tax exempt, and to help members every way possible. Adrienne Stallworth, Velma Underwood, Beverly Polin, Diane Falgiani, and Sharon Underwood then shared their “polio” stories with us. The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 pm. Bob Parkhurst led us in prayer, and members and guests ate lunch and birthday cake.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet DiClaudi, Secretary
Speaker for the May 19th Meeting
Kristine Hines-Silliman, N.C.T.M.B. and AMTA professional member, graduated from The Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy, receiving advanced certifications in Neuromuscular Therapy -St. John’s Method and Myofascial Release – through the Chicago School of Massage Therapy by Bob King. For the past seven years, she has owned Positive Touch, Inc., her private practice.
She has worked extensively in the music industry, providing world class therapeutic massage to the Who’s -Who of Rock-n-Roll and Entertainment. Previously, she was an assistant and instructor for the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy – Ann Arbor, MI and assisted with Hot Stone classes offered by Irene’s Myomassology Institute – Southfield, MI.
Following her great love, she is a practicing student of Hawaiian Lomi Lomi and trained in the Ohashi method of Japanese Shiatsu.
In February of 2006 Kristine joined the Skin Institute to provide Massage Therapy and post-surgical Lymphatic technique in coordination with the Physicians of Savannah Plastic Surgery. She is also an instructor for the Savannah School of Massage Therapy. Kristine holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Cleveland Institute of Art.
Spotlight on Jim Veccia
As far back as I can remember, I’m guessing when I was five or six years of age, I always had a ball in my hand. Whether it be baseball, basketball or football, my entire childhood was spent playing ball when I wasn’t in school. I was blessed with the ability to excel in sports. I played all sports, but I excelled at basketball. Upon entering high school, I was the key player on my freshman basketball team, and by my second year I was playing on the varsity. On Friday night, November 30, 1950, Lynbrook High School had its season opener. I led all players in scoring, and we won the game. The next morning, Saturday, I just wasn’t feeling well. Since I had some chores to do that day, my sisters teased me about trying to get out of doing them by saying I wasn’t well. I went to bed and by night time I had difficulty moving. My parents called our doctor, and he attributed it to a sprained back I must have gotten the night before. Since polio was considered a threat on Long Island only from June to October and only one or two cases were ever diagnosed in the winter, polio was the last thought the doctor or anyone else had about my “stiffness.” By Monday I was taken to the county hospital and put in isolation. There it was confirmed I had polio. Naturally my world was shattered. All my dreams about playing college ball were gone.
I was extremely fortunate through the efforts of a large fundraiser to be admitted into Saint Charles Children Hospital. It was a hospital run by nuns for children with polio. They admitted about 40 boys and 40 girls between the ages of 6 and 16. They would not take any child that required being in an iron lung. Once there, I encountered the nuns’ way of dealing with rehabilitation. They thought that the “Sister Kenny” method was too slow, and working to restore lost muscles as soon as possible was imperative. Thus, instead of heat packs, three or four nuns would force me into a sitting position (extremely painful) and then proceed to force my head to touch my strapped-down kneecaps. Within a week or so, my body was all stretched out and rehabilitation was started.
My parents were able to visit me only once a week, on Sunday afternoon from one to four. Oh, how I looked forward to those visits. A nun named Sister Emily seemed to take an extra interest in me and worked me day and night. When others were at playtime, I was in working with Sister Emily. Within three or four months I was fitted for a leg brace and my daily workouts continued. On November 28, 1951, almost one year later, I was discharged from the hospital. I returned to school and, although my life had changed drastically, I found comfort in my classmates. Unfortunately, in January I had to return to the hospital and have a body cast put on me due to a scoliosis I was developing. I kept that on for six months. As high school ended and I was getting ready for college, I believe my ideas changed about how my life would unfold. I was much more accepting of life and realized how very lucky I was after seeing so many other kids that were much worse.
I was from a large family. I had a brother, four sisters, and wonderful parents who did everything they could possibly do for me. I had spent my whole life living on Long Island, and going off to college would be an experience. I enrolled in Rochester Institute of Technology, and in my junior year I met a freshman nursing student. I had been very self-conscious about myself, but with her everything seemed so right. After my graduation, I married Gigi and we made our home back on Long Island.
Our first son was born in 1959, and I was the owner of a printing company. In 1962 our second son was born, and by 1968 our last son was born. I was very involved with midget football at this point, coaching and on the board of directors. We had a very good life. We did lots of running around, dinners whenever we got home, and Gigi was right there in the mix with us ‘boys.’ Gigi went back to college at the age of 38 and received her RN degree about 20 years later then she had anticipated. She worked almost her whole career at the local medical center. In the meantime, I was expanding my business to include a full bindery.
Our boys all went to college and received their degrees, and they are now successful in their endeavors. Two are excellent fathers. We are blessed with two granddaughters and a grandson from our oldest and two grandsons from our youngest. Our middle son lost his wife last year to brain cancer.
As I reached sixty-two years of age, I felt forty years of work was enough, and we retired to Hilton Head. Gigi found a small ad in our local paper about CEPSA and she convinced me to call. I really didn’t want to call, but to appease her I did. Well, I spoke with Cheryl Brackin, and her enthusiasm literally came through the phone. We spoke so easily for over an hour, and I was at the next meeting. I have never met more caring people then I met that day. Now, after four and half years, I am totally convinced I made the correct decision and can’t thank all the people of CEPSA enough. They have all helped me in so many ways.
You are familiar with the saying, “I cried because I had no shoes; then I met a man who had no feet.” Well, I really never dreamed how difficult it must have been for so many in our group to have had polio since practically birth and how wonderfully they responded and live their lives to the fullest. Since I lived 16 years without polio, it makes me ashamed to have ever felt sorry for myself.
I M P O R T A N T : THE MEETING DATE HAS CHANGED!
CEPSA meets at the Wild Heron Villas Clubhouse on May 19th! Directions: Go south on Abercorn (highway 204) to King George Blvd. Turn left and follow the blvd. past Georgetown Elementary School to the end of the road; turn right onto Wild Heron Rd. The “villas” are the next right turn; into a set of gates. Stay right to #100, which will be the clubhouse on the right.
For further assistance call Sandra at 912 920 3862 or 912 663 0025.
CONTRIBUTIONS
The Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association is a non-profit corporation which is tax exempt under IRS code 501c(3). We have no paid employees, only volunteers dedicated to helping all polio survivors.
Your financial support is appreciated at any level suggested below:
- CEPSA Member – $15.00 annual voluntary donation
- CEPSA Supporter – $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $300.00
- CEPSA Memorial or Honor Gift – any amount
- CEPSA Sponsor – any amount
Your contributions are tax deductible and will be acknowledged appropriately.
Please complete this form and mail it along with your check to: CEPSA, Marty Foxx, 23 East 61st Street, Savannah, GA31405.
Name __________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________
City ___________________ State_____________ Zip ___________
Phone _______________________ E-mail _________________________________
Thank you for your support and encouragement.