Polio Survivor And Doctor Chooses New Path. An Interview with Lauro Halstead, MD

Photo Source: Sabri Ben-Achour

“I think an important element for any young person is the whole concept of resilience and perseverance. I mean, no one’s life is free of problems, of challenges, of confrontations. And I think it’s absolutely critical that everybody learn how to deal with misfortune, with events that are out of their control, with challenges, whether it’s physical, emotional, financial.” Lauro Halstead, MD

“We have no control over some of the most important events that shape our lives, but we do have a choice in how we respond to them. Dr. Lauro Halstead contracted polio in 1954, and survived on a plywood ventilator in the basement of a children’s hospital run by nuns. He went on to become a renowned physician, and treated polio patients and people with spinal cord injuries. He just retired from his position with the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. He talks to Metro Connection’s Sabri Ben-Achour about his work and about how a combination of serendipity and resilience dictate how our lives unfold.”

Read and listen to the conversation: WAMU-88.5

More about/from Lauro Halstead:

An Unexpected Journey - Celebrating the Life of Lauro S. Halstead, MD

Polio Revisited (a Video from David Wasser)