Polio: A Personal Spiritual Journey: How a Physical Difference Impacts One's Life Trajectory in Challenging and Decisive Ways

About the Book

Robert W. Janek grew up with his mother, father, and older brother in the farm and ranch country of west Texas. It was a "normal" childhood... until the late summer of 1952 when he had just turned eleven years old and was stricken with polio. Polio: A Personal Spiritual Journey tells the continuing story of the effects of polio on a human being: what it means to go through the initial stages of hospitalization and then the life-long physical, social, and spiritual aftermath of living with partial facial paralysis due to bulbar polio.

With the current resurgence of polio, Robert's story has, also, rippling and far-reaching parallels and implications for others who experience any kind of visible differentness: "You are not alone in what you experience, think, and feel!" Caretakers, teachers, family, friends, church folks, employers and more can find in these pages insights regarding how best to interact with and support someone who appears a little different. A heart-to-heart connection may well develop through these pages. This inspirational read could easily be used with a group to promote discussion and a sharing of in-depth experiences.

About the Author

Robert with his wife, Jena, lives in San Angelo, Texas. They have a son and daughter-in-law who live in Vermont.