Childhood Diseases

by Jerry Blackerby

Mumps, chicken pox, measles, and whooping cough were all considered childhood diseases when I grew up near the end of the great depression. Almost everyone caught these diseases at some time or another. My sisters and brother all caught them, but I did not.

Dad came down with mumps when I was just an infant. Mom said she put me in the bed with Dad expecting me to catch mumps and get them over with. It would be better to catch mumps as a child than as an adult. I did not catch them and I still have not, even though I have been exposed several times.

Chicken pox ran rampant at school when I was in the third grade, but I did not catch it. A minor outbreak of measles hit my sisters and one night I appeared to break out with red spots. Mom said I was coming down with measles. By morning the spots were gone and I did not have the measles.

About two years later, we lived three miles from Dad’s brother and his entire family, except the oldest son, came down with a bad case of measles. They were very sick for several days. Mom cooked for them and Dad and I helped the oldest son with the milking and other chores. Dad came down with the measles, but I never did.

As my own children and grandchildren went through the various childhood diseases, everyone was worried that I would catch Chicken Pox or one of the other diseases. I never did. Once a daughter-in-law tried to keep me from coming in the door to give a grandson a birthday present because he had Chicken Pox. She said that I had never had Chicken Pox, so should not come in the house. I told her that I did not hide from it and entered the house to give my grandson his present. I also hugged his neck and did not catch Chicken Pox.

I do not know why I never caught any of the childhood diseases. Mom apparently never had them either, so maybe it is something in the genes from that side of the family. Of course, that is also the side of the family where Alzheimer’s is rampant.