Lesson Learned: My Lifelong Journey with Polio

Born at the height of America's polio epidemic, Richard Hardine is stricken with the disease and paralyzed from the neck down at the age of nine months. Despite surviving anterior bulbar poliomyelitis, a grade of polio with a 95 percent fatality rate, and regaining mobility, Richard's life isn't always easy going forward.

He faces physical obstacles-- sixteen corrective surgeries, numerous casts and braces, plenty of falls-- and emotional ones. Yet even as he encounters bullies, misses out on activities for fear of getting injured, and worries about acceptance among his peers, Richard always finds a way to persevere. Aided by the encouragement of his friends and family and a good attitude, he comes to adulthood independent and with an in-depth understanding of others.

Lessons Learned: My Lifelong Journey with Polio is a candid memoir that will appeal to anyone whose life has been touched by hardship but found the determination to carry on.

About the author . . . Richard Hardine was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1950. As an adult, he earned an associate degree in physical therapy, a bachelor of science degree in applied social behavior, and a master's degree in marketing/management. Richard has always helped people with disabilities, spending his professional career opening long-term care facilities, developing rehabilitation clinics, and assisting in the design and construction of totally accessible custom homes. He has authored articles for print media and public radio news, including Universal Design, Housing Design Breaks Down Barriers, and Planning to Build Your Retirement Home Using Universal Design. He lives with his wife, Karen, in Minnesota.