Francis Ford Coppola shares harrowing story of being a polio survivor
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Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary Oscar-winning director, has shared a poignant account of his experience as a polio survivor. In a recent interview with Deadline about his new film Megalopolis, Coppola, now 85, vividly recalled the terrifying impact of the disease, which he contracted as a child around the age of 9. His memories paint a stark picture of how quickly polio took hold of his young body.
Polio, a viral illness that primarily affects children under 5 years old, can lead to irreversible paralysis and even death. The disease is highly infectious, and while there is no cure, it can be prevented through vaccination. The development and widespread distribution of the polio vaccine in 1955 led to a dramatic decline in the disease, though recent vaccine skepticism has raised concerns about potential resurgences.
Coppola described the disease’s rapid onset. “Polio is a fever that just hits you for one night,” he explained. “You only are sick for one night. The terrible effects of polio, like being unable to breathe and needing to be in an iron lung, or becoming completely paralyzed, are the result of the damage caused during that one night of infection.”
The director’s memories of that night remain vivid. He recalls feeling feverish and being rushed to a hospital ward overcrowded with children. “There were so many more kids than there were beds,” he said. “The hallways were so packed with gurneys that they were piled three or four high.” The scene was chaotic, and the atmosphere in the ward was unsettling.
While polio mainly impacts young children, its consequences are severe. The virus can lead to paralysis, and in some cases, it can be fatal. Thanks to widespread vaccination efforts, particularly after the introduction of the Salk and Sabin vaccines, polio became less common over time. However, the growing skepticism around vaccines today has prompted fears of the disease returning.
Coppola’s memories from the polio ward are haunting. He recalled seeing other children trapped in iron lungs—large respirators that helped them breathe. The children’s faces were visible through mirrors, but their expressions were filled with fear and confusion. “They were all crying for their parents, not understanding why they were in these steel cabinets,” Coppola said. “I remember feeling more frightened for those kids than for myself because I wasn’t in one of those things.”
Iron lungs were crucial for patients who lost the ability to breathe due to polio’s effects on their respiratory muscles. Coppola himself wasn’t placed in one, but his situation wasn’t without struggle. He vividly remembered trying to get out of bed and realizing he couldn’t walk. “I fell on the floor and realized I couldn’t get up,” he recalled. “I stayed in that ward for about 10 days before my parents were able to take me home.”
Coppola credits his father, composer Carmine Coppola, for playing a key role in his recovery. His father tirelessly sought out various treatments, determined to help his son overcome the effects of the disease. The director also expressed gratitude toward the medical pioneers responsible for developing the polio vaccine. He praised Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin, the creators of the Salk and Sabin vaccines, for their generosity in donating the patents for their life-saving inventions to the public.
“Both those doctors donated the patents of their vaccines to the public,” Coppola said. “It’s in stark contrast to what happens today, where companies own these patents.” He reflected on the profound impact the vaccines had in eradicating the disease, calling it “absurd” to consider reversing the progress made in fighting polio through vaccination.
Coppola’s personal experience with polio has left a lasting impression on him, and he believes the success of the polio vaccine should be a reminder of the importance of immunization. “The stories about the polio vaccine and how many lives it saved during an epidemic that was only getting bigger—it makes it so absurd, the idea that they would consider reversing course on vaccines now,” he said.
Through his story, Coppola highlights the importance of vaccines in preventing devastating diseases and the lives they have saved, urging society not to forget the lessons of history. His harrowing experience serves as a powerful testament to the necessity of continued public health efforts, especially in the face of vaccine hesitancy.
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