Roosevelt contracted what was diagnosed as polio in 1921 while on vacation in Canada.

After his vice-presidential defeat, Roosevelt contracted what was diagnosed as polio in 1921 while on vacation in Canada. Polio: A predominantly childhood disease in the early 20th century, polio wreaked havoc among American children every summer. The virus, which affects the central nervous system, flourished in contaminated food and water and was easily transmitted. Those who survived the disease usually suffered from debilitating paralysis into their adult lives.

Roosevelt contract polio: FDR encountered his biggest hurdle in the summer of 1921 at the age of 39. After swimming in the waters, while vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada, he was diagnosed with the crippling disease that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio. For the rest of his life he used a cane and metal braces to stand and walk short distances. When he was not in public, he moved around in a wheelchair. He remained paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. With Eleanor’s support, Roosevelt didn’t give up his political career, and in 1928 he was elected the governor of New York.