LM, Episode 1184, 3/17/23, (Remaster 132, 3/26/20), Typhoid Freddie

We really miss our neighbor’s in Missouri. They were 10 years younger than us and had three children. In the 15 years we lived there, we enjoyed watching their three children grow up.

When the youngest was in preschool, the class had a stuffed frog that went home with a different child every night. The frog is named Freddie the Frog, but I call him Typhoid Freddie. Be careful saying something like that, it’ll ruin a child’s fifth birthday party.

She wanted me to hold Freddie, but I said I couldn’t because I don’t look good with pinkeye.

Who thinks this is a good idea? Seems like there would be less painful ways to teach children about germs?

But I read an article about the real Typhoid Mary. She was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States when she was 15. She became a cook in New York for wealthy families. It is suspected she was infected before birth as her mom had typhoid fever while she was pregnant with Mary. Mary had no symptoms of Typhoid Fever, but is suspected of infecting 51 people, three of whom later died.

She was a cook and one of the families hired a Typhoid researcher, named George Soper. They didn’t suspect the cook because cooking temperatures would kill the virus, until George learned Mary made ice cream for all of the families she infected.

She spent most of her life in quarantine.

With today being St. Patrick’s day, I hope you will appreciate the hardships all immigrants coming to America experience. Twyla’s Irish ancestor came to America as an indentured servant when he was a teenager. I remember reading that the Irish were told the streets in America were paved with gold. When they got here, they found not only were the streets not paved with gold, they weren’t paved at all, and the Irish had been brought here to pave them.

Should you happen to touch Typhoid Freddie, be sure to wash your hands, have a safe St. Patrick’s Day, and always remember laughter matters..