Due being away dog sitting, please enjoy April's Patreon bonus episode. If you want to hear other bonus episodes like this, consider joining the Weird Distractions patreon for as low as $2 (USD) a month! In this episode, Alex discusses the history & horrors of the former Willowbrook State School. Previously designed to be a supportive place for children with various disabilities, unfortunately it turned into a breeding ground for trauma and exploitation. Tune in to hear more about what took place, the weird medical studies done there, and what came out of this Staten Island institution. Need a distraction? I got you.  Listener discretion is advised. Shout out to our Patrons Tom, Bailey, Angela, Jon, Alicia, Lynn, Sissy, Shadow, Courtney & Cheryl! Thank you for supporting Weird Distractions on Patreon. You can also support the show on Patreon and get monthly bonus episodes, behind the scenes footage, and more! Weird Distractions is also on Buy Me a Coffee if you want to support the show with a one-time donation. You can also find WDP merch on Redbubble. If you want to provide feedback or even your own weird story to be read on air in an upcoming Listener Distractions episode - please email: weirddistractionspodcast@outlook.com. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, please consider rating & reviewing. It's the best way to support the show (for free). Thanks for listening! Weird Distractions is a proud member of the Cultiv8 network: https://www.patreon.com/cultiv8podcastnetwork/ (https://www.patreon.com/cultiv8podcastnetwork/)  Resources: Wikipedia page - Willowbrook State School - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willowbrook_State_School (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willowbrook_State_School) Wikipedia page - Geraldo Rivera - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldo_Rivera (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldo_Rivera) New York Times article - “Beatings, Burns and Betrayal: The Willowbrook Scandal’s Legacy” - by Benjamin Weiser - February 21st, 2020 - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/nyregion/willowbrook-state-school-staten-island.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/nyregion/willowbrook-state-school-staten-island.html) Timeline article - “Willowbrook, the institution that shocked a nation into changing its laws” - by Matt Reimann - June 15th, 2017 - https://timeline.com/willowbrook-the-institution-that-shocked-a-nation-into-changing-its-laws-c847acb44e0d (https://timeline.com/willowbrook-the-institution-that-shocked-a-nation-into-changing-its-laws-c847acb44e0d) YouTube video - “Willowbrook State School | Life in Hell” - Uploaded by Annaleesah Pina - November 1st, 2019 YouTube video - “Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace - Geraldo Rivera 1972 Expose - Full Short Documentary” - uploaded by D. Alexandria - June 12th, 2019 SILIVE website article - “The horrors of Willowbrook State School” - Updated: Feb. 24, 2020 - Published: Jan. 19, 2017 - By Kristin F. Dalton - https://www.silive.com/news/2017/01/the_horrors_of_willowbrook_sta.html (https://www.silive.com/news/2017/01/the_horrors_of_willowbrook_sta.html) Untapped Cities - “WHAT’S LEFT OF ABANDONED WILLOWBROOK STATE SCHOOL NOW ON STATEN ISLAND” - by George Frey - no date listed - https://untappedcities.com/2021/06/22/willowbrook-state-school/ (https://untappedcities.com/2021/06/22/willowbrook-state-school/) CDC website - Hepatitis A - https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/index.htm)#:~:text=Hepatitis%20A%20is%20a%20vaccine,Hepatitis%20A%20is%20very%20contagious. CDC website - Chapter 9: Hepatitis A - by Monique A Foster, MD MPH; Penina Haber, MPH; Noele P Nelson, MD, PhD, MPH - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/hepa.html (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/hepa.html)#:~:text=Hepatitis%20A%20(HepA)%20vaccines%20were,A%20virus%20(HAV)%20infection. Chapter 7: Human Experimentation -...