Mother's account of Lee & his bout with Spinal Meningitis 1950

Taken directly from Mother's notes:
     Lee, in the 7th grade at Maryville High School, had been complaining a week or more with his neck being sore and a headache.
     I took him to Dr. James Proffitt, our physician; he dismissed it as a normal headache. A week or two later, the school office secretary called me about 1:30 p.m. to say Lee was in great pain and was sick.
     I went to school immediately to get him. He was lying on the grass in front of the school. I knew then he was really sick. He talked on the way home of the possibility it might be polio. I had already thought of that.
     On reaching the house (202 Hemlock Ave.) I called Dr. Proffitt to get a recommendation of a doctor at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. I planned to put him on a plane for Nashville as soon as I could get a flight out.
     Just before calling the airport I decided to call Dr. Jack Chesney, Knoxville Pediatrics, who had treated Larry for bladder trouble which was corrected.
     Over the phone Dr. Chesney diagnosed Lee as having meningitis; he had worked with it during the war. He told me to rush him to Knoxville General Hospital by ambulance as soon as possible. I left word with Avery Dixon (next-door neighbor) to tell Larry & Judy when they came in from school. She kept them and fed them supper that night.
     Lee & I arrived at the hospital  about 3:00 p.m. I had called Max before we left home, hoping he would meet us at the hospital. He didn't get there until 9:00 p.m. He was in an Alcoa car pool to TVA and wouldn't have thought of letting one of them drive the car home. When he got home, he ate supper. He never once rose to the crisis. I had it alone the whole way.
     Lee talked in the ambulance of polio. He spoke in very grave tones. I was numb with fear. When they took him for a spinal tap, I had to go in another direction. I felt that was the last time I would ever see him alive.
     Five hours later he was in the isolation ward behind several walls of glass. I could stand in the hall and see him; he looked like he was miles away.
     Three doctors told me he had meningitis, and I remember saying, "I'm glad it isn't polio." I had never heard of meningitis. An hour later Max got to the hospital. When we got home I had to call everyone he had been in contact with during the last 3 or 4 days. Maryville was thrown into a panic.
     The next night was Wednesday night, prayer meeting night. I sat in the hall looking at Lee through all those glass walls and praying so earnestly, "Dear God if it be thy will may he live." Nearby Broadway Baptist Church was playing chimes, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Never have I felt so close to God. As we left the hospital at 8:30 p.m. we passed by the church, as we waited beside it to get into the main street, I turned to see a lighted stained glass church window, depicting Jesus sitting with outstretched arms. He was literally beckoning. At that moment I knew Lee would live.
     Lee was in the hospital 2 or 3 weeks. His girlfriend, Marilyn Hill, later Mrs. Roger Elliott whom she divorced when her two children were teenagers, Marilyn went to the hospital with us every time. We could only send notes to Lee. He couldn't hear us talking through the glass.
     At the end of his stay everything in his room had to be burned.
     He was out of school 6 weeks altogether. Larry & Judy had to stay home the first two weeks. After the 6 weeks for Lee, we had a high school girl come every afternoon for two weeks to "catch him up" on his studies. He recovered fine with no ill effects. How blessed we have been.
     No other case of meningitis was reported in Maryville then or later. Lee is the only one so far as I know in all of Maryville to have it. Most meningitis cases are fatal.