In 1955, Mabel Brown had reason to celebrate. The Civic Hospital School of Nursing graduate was back at the Civic recovering well from polio, and the Salk vaccine had just been released. While it was too late for Mabel to receive the vaccine, it was the first step towards eradicating polio in Canada over the next few decades.
A wheelchair user for the rest of her life, Mabel went on to get a library science degree at the University of Toronto before once again returning to the Civic in 1966 — this time to direct the hospital’s library services department, where she worked until she retired.
Photo Credit: City of Ottawa MG393-NP-35969-001 CA032036
