LOCAL NEWS

Utah Woman May Be Longest Living Polio Survivor

Mar 5, 2020, 7:39 PM | Updated: Mar 6, 2020, 1:17 pm

PANGUITCH, Utah – A Utah woman could be the longest living survivor in the U.S. of a renowned pandemic.

At its peak in the middle of the 20th century, polio killed half a million people every year. Longevity despite hardship came down to one thing: extraordinary strength.

In Butch Cassidy Country, you have to be strong to survive. It’s where you’ll find 97-year-old Loraine Allen – in a nursing home inside a wing of Garfield Memorial Hospital in Panguitch.

Although hard of hearing, Allen is surrounded by sounds. The sounds she loves most, though are the voices of her family, and memories of a time of struggle.

“I was three years old,” said Loraine Allen. “They thought I had pneumonia. I couldn’t walk.”

It was polio – a condition that crippled the nation.

For Loraine, that meant numerous surgeries and many doctors. Long before there was such a thing as accessibility, she walked with a severe limp. The teasing at school was relentless.

“Heavens, yes,” Loraine said.

She learned to survive by smiling through the pain. The tough times didn’t stop her from doing pretty much everything the other kids did.

“I started tap dancing soon as I found out what tap dancing was and I danced clear through college,” she said.

Then she met Sam.

“He asked me to dance and we went right on dancing. He was a little jewel,” Loraine said.

They married in 1942 and moved to Panguitch.

“A new bride, and I limped. All 500 residents asked me why,” she said. “(I would) smile and tell them I had polio.”

Two sons came. As decades passed, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild.

Loraine has a mix of tenderness and toughness in her soul.

“She is the definition of strength,” said Kenzie Allen, Loraine’s great-granddaughter. “I think she just never had the choice not to be. She’s just always been a rock to everybody, and everybody just leans on her. I have never seen my grandmother cry.”

For Loraine, the tears came.

“You can hold up pretty good when you’re out in the public but when you get home? Wow. I bawled… hard. I bawl a lot. They just don’t know it,” she said.

Loraine learned tenderness from her father.

Loraine Allen, 97, Is the beloved matriarch of her family. She also may be the longest living polio survivors in the US. She contracted the disease when she was only 3 years old.

Loraine Allen, 97, Is the beloved matriarch of her family. She also may be the longest living polio survivors in the US. She contracted the disease when she was only 3 years old.

“When he’d find me howling because somebody had asked me about limping, he gathered me up and we would go have a little treat,” she said.

Her mom gave her resilience in a tube of red lipstick.

“I was the color of a paper plate after being sick so much,” she said. “When you get feeling really white, put a little color on your lips.'”

Loraine has worn red lipstick every day since.

“I want them to look at my face, not my legs,” she said.

She’s outlived her husband and both sons.

“I’m gonna make it to 100,” Loraine said.

She has survived with endurance honed on the ranch, and courage from those she holds dear.

“From my family,” she said. “Just being there.”

Love that’s never-ending.

Thanks to what’s considered the most successful vaccination campaign of all time, polio was eradicated in the United States in 1979.

For 20 years, Loraine was a healthcare worker who made sure children in rural Utah received their vaccinations.

According to Post-polio International, there’s no way to know for sure if Loraine is the oldest living polio survivor in the US. No organization tracks it, but their experts didn’t know of any survivor older than her.

They said it’s also remarkable that she has lived with the disease for 94 years, since she contracted it at the age of 3.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Matt Gephardt working with Bona Rose on the CarChex documents....

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

Get Gephardt: West Valley woman says her extended car warranty claim was denied unfairly

Many drivers buy an extended auto warranty to cover unexpected repair bills. But when a West Valley City woman turned to her warranty provider for major help on her car's transmission, they turned her down - repeatedly.

3 hours ago

Moments before a Salt Lake City woman is hit by a white car in the Avenues....

Eric Cabrera, KSL NewsRadio, Garna Mejia and Michael Houck, KSL TV

Doorbell camera captures another hit-and-run in Salt Lake City

New doorbell camera shows bystanders rushing to save a woman who may be another victim of an alleged serial hit-and-runner.

4 hours ago

A view of the West Temple and 200 South intersection in Salt Lake City....

Michael Houck

A major downtown Salt Lake City intersection will close from April to May

Starting April 1, the West Temple and 200 South intersection will be closed as crews replace natural gas lines.

5 hours ago

Researchers gathered in a Weber State University room for a Air Quality Summit....

Mike Anderson

Air Quality Summit puts focus on Utah air pollution and solutions

Many of the researchers who study Utah's air pollution problems are sharing what they've found while working to find solutions during Thursday's Air Quality Summit.

6 hours ago

Keith Stebbings (right) confronting Loren Richardson (left) after Richardson allegedly entered his ...

Shelby Lofton

‘He wasn’t intending to hurt anybody’: Brighton homeowner attorney says snowboarder confrontation was a misunderstanding

The Brighton man armed with a gun while confronting a snowboarder in a viral video is now facing criminal charges. But his attorney says he had the right to protect his property.

7 hours ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Eliza Pace

VIDEO: Watch the moment a UHP trooper stops a 12-year-old driving on the freeway

Utah Highway Patrol responded to a call of a reckless driver. They didn't know until after they stopped the car that it was a 12-year-old driver.

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Utah Woman May Be Longest Living Polio Survivor