Keep Smiling and Never Give Up!
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Foreword by Rev. C.A. Kerschner I write memories of a person who has been admired, and for many years was hindered from activities that required bodily function due to Polio. He was able to participate only mentally, able to think with a determination, and fellowship in a fashion that allowed him to join anyone willing to enter into a discussion of most current events; very able to carry his opinions and thoughts in a very clear manner. My relationship with Dan Williams began one Sunday. As his parents came to Sunday School they told me that Danny was not able to be at church that day due to a terrible cold and some other problems. They were going home to see about him, and the next information I had was about 2:00 AM, when his mother called to tell me that Danny had been diagnosed as having Polio and that he was losing the ability to move his arms and legs. They were taking him to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis immediately. I went to the hospital on Tuesday to see him. He was fully encased in an iron lung with all the breathing being done with the equipment that pertained to his condition. To describe his mental attitude is fully stated in a prayer of an older Saint, "Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference". I remember what Danny said to me as I called on him one day. After greeting me he said that he had been praying and talking to God about his situation. "I told the Lord that I was willing to spend the rest of my life in this iron lung, or whatever was the Lord’s will for me, and I would love Him and serve Him with all that I had to do with." After he had said this to me he smiled and said, "I have given my whole life to Jesus" and his smile was like a ray of sunshine, bright and beautiful. Later I would come to his house and show him how to play Chess. He decided what pieces he wanted moved and I would move them. He got so good that he was a tough competitor. His mental ability became very sharp. His memory was amazing. One of the things Danny was ever ready for was our time of prayer. He was totally given over to the Lord Jesus, and for me that was an inspiration. As I prayed for his family he always added his "amen". Danny was in several Polio hospitals, each of them helping him in various ways. Danny married and I marvel at the many things that God, the Creator of the Universe is able to arrange. I praise God for this union and for what it has meant to Danny. This again manifests the fact that all the answers to every problem are found by allowing God to have His way. Now that Danny has gone to be with the Lord Jesus Christ, the memories will be even more precious. I thank the Lord for my time that I had the privilege to be a friend of such a worthy young man and his family and loved ones.
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About the Book
Daniel R. Williams reveals the amazing grace of a loving God who, when He indwells our hearts, minds, and souls, gives strength beyond measure for all life’s trials. Polio is a disease little understood today, and near becoming a mere footnote in history. In 1953, more American children died of paralytic Poliomyelitis than any other communicable disease. Thankfully, as a result of Drs. Salk and Sabin’s vaccines, 1957 was one of its last ravages. For those who knew this affliction first hand, it represents a catastrophic loss of freedom to move, walk, and in some cases, breathe without assistance. This book is the author’s account of defying all odds to survive this life-shaping illness; struggling with chronic problems that complicated paralysis; maturing to adulthood, and living a meaningful life. The reader will acquire knowledge of a paralytic disease that has an estimated 600,000 American survivors; experience daily struggles to regain lost ability to move, eat, and breathe; laugh as a teenage boy’s bravado carries him from desperation to independence; weep as further physical injuries compound his situation; joy as he rediscovers his faith; and share triumph on his wedding day.
About the Author
In October 1957, Daniel Ray Williams, a healthy fourteen-year old member of his high school football team and band member, contracted Polio. His was the first case of the last Polio attacks in New Castle, Indiana. Suddenly, without warning, he was paralyzed and dependent on an iron lung for every breath. With intense rehabilitative efforts he escaped the iron lung though remaining paralyzed and breathing with portable respirators. He wrote many short stories and three books. His life is a testimony to his favorite scripture, II Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." This is his first book published. He died in June 2001.