Dianne Odell
Encyclopedia
Dianne Odell was a Tennessee
woman who spent most of her life in an iron lung
. She contracted "bulbo-spinal" polio at age 3 in 1950 and was confined to an iron lung
for the rest of her life. Due to a spinal deformity caused by the polio, she was unable to change to a portable breathing device introduced in the late 1950s. Odell's condition was not as severe in youth and she could spend short periods outside the machine until her 20s, from then on she needed to be in it 24 hours a day. Caregivers could still slide Odell's bedding out of her iron lung for basic nursing care but only briefly.
Odell was one of the longest time users of an iron lung, being confined to it for nearly 60 years. Currently, it is estimated that only 30 people in the United States still rely on iron lungs but few users are confined to them all the time. Odell's Iron lung, which was seven feet long and weighed 750 pounds, produced positive and negative pressures that forced air into her lungs and then expelled it. She lay on her back with only her head exposed and made eye contact with visitors through an angled mirror. She was able to operate a television set with a small blow tube. She was cared for by her parents, other family members and aides provided by a nonprofit foundation.
Odell had many successes in her life despite her condition. Although she could not attend high school, she completed her studies by having her classmates or teachers bring school assignments to her home, where she would read the answers into a Dictaphone
or have friends or family transcribe them. She also learned to write with her toes. She graduated from high school in 1965 and subsequently took long-distance classes from Freed-Hardeman University
. Although she was unable to earn a degree, she received an honorary degree in 1987. In 1992, Odell was profiled in Woman's World magazine
and received the Paul Harris Fellow
Award from the Jackson Rotary Club, one of the club's highest honors.
In 1991, Odell began writing a children's book using a voice activated computer, even though it took 10 years to accomplish. Published in 2001, about 100,000 copies of the book, Blinky, Less Light, have been sold. Shortly after the book was published, Dianne met former Vice President Al Gore
at a Christmas Gala in her honor. This book was briefly mentioned by actress Jane Seymour
in her 2004 work Remarkable Changes: Turning Life's Challenges into Opportunities. Dianne first met Seymour in 2003 who also introduced her to Christopher Reeve
.
Despite her condition, friends say that Odell accepted her life with grace. In a 1994 interview with the Associated Press, she stated that "I've had a very good life, filled with love and family and faith. You can make life good or you can make it bad." In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Odell said she wrote her children's book to show youngsters, especially those with physical disabilities, that they should never give up. "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you see someone do the same thing," she said.
Her medical costs were approximately $60,000 per year. However, her family refused to institutionalize her. To help the family, the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation and the Campbell Street Church of Christ established the Dianne Odell Fund. In 2001, a website, www.dianneodell.com, was set up to provide users with a brief biography of Odell and a way to donate money or services to help with her care. A number of fundraisers, some featuring celebrities, were also held to raise money to allow her to remain at home.
On February 17, 2007 (the Saturday following her 60th birthday), she was temporarily moved to The New Southern Hotel in Jackson
, for celebrations attended by approximately 200 guests and with a nine-foot birthday cake. She also received letters from well-wishes from people all over the country. That same month, a German film crew visited Dianne to do a story about her life.
Odell's life was threatened by power outages in 1957 and 1974 which disabled her respirator. However, she survived with the help of her family who hand-pumped the respirator until power was restored. In 1995, the Tennessee Valley Authority provided the Odell family with a generator large enough to power the house, in case of future power outages.
Odell died on May 28, 2008 at age 61. A power failure and the failure of an emergency generator cut off her breathing device's functions. Family members attempted to use the emergency hand pump attached to the iron lung to keep her breathing, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
woman who spent most of her life in an iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
. She contracted "bulbo-spinal" polio at age 3 in 1950 and was confined to an iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
for the rest of her life. Due to a spinal deformity caused by the polio, she was unable to change to a portable breathing device introduced in the late 1950s. Odell's condition was not as severe in youth and she could spend short periods outside the machine until her 20s, from then on she needed to be in it 24 hours a day. Caregivers could still slide Odell's bedding out of her iron lung for basic nursing care but only briefly.
Odell was one of the longest time users of an iron lung, being confined to it for nearly 60 years. Currently, it is estimated that only 30 people in the United States still rely on iron lungs but few users are confined to them all the time. Odell's Iron lung, which was seven feet long and weighed 750 pounds, produced positive and negative pressures that forced air into her lungs and then expelled it. She lay on her back with only her head exposed and made eye contact with visitors through an angled mirror. She was able to operate a television set with a small blow tube. She was cared for by her parents, other family members and aides provided by a nonprofit foundation.
Odell had many successes in her life despite her condition. Although she could not attend high school, she completed her studies by having her classmates or teachers bring school assignments to her home, where she would read the answers into a Dictaphone
Dictaphone
Dictaphone was an American company, a producer of dictation machines—sound recording devices most commonly used to record speech for later playback or to be typed into print. The name "Dictaphone" is a trademark, but in some places it has also become a common way to refer to all such devices, and...
or have friends or family transcribe them. She also learned to write with her toes. She graduated from high school in 1965 and subsequently took long-distance classes from Freed-Hardeman University
Freed-Hardeman University
Freed-Hardeman University is a primarily undergraduate university in Henderson, Tennessee. The university is located within a short distance of the town's central area. The university traces its heritage to the members of the Churches of Christ who helped build it...
. Although she was unable to earn a degree, she received an honorary degree in 1987. In 1992, Odell was profiled in Woman's World magazine
Woman's World
Woman's World is an American supermarket weekly magazine with a circulation of 1.6 million readers. Generally marketed with other tabloid papers, it concentrates on short stories about popular woman-focused subjects such as weight loss , relationship advice and cooking, though also...
and received the Paul Harris Fellow
Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs...
Award from the Jackson Rotary Club, one of the club's highest honors.
In 1991, Odell began writing a children's book using a voice activated computer, even though it took 10 years to accomplish. Published in 2001, about 100,000 copies of the book, Blinky, Less Light, have been sold. Shortly after the book was published, Dianne met former Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
at a Christmas Gala in her honor. This book was briefly mentioned by actress Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
in her 2004 work Remarkable Changes: Turning Life's Challenges into Opportunities. Dianne first met Seymour in 2003 who also introduced her to Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
.
Despite her condition, friends say that Odell accepted her life with grace. In a 1994 interview with the Associated Press, she stated that "I've had a very good life, filled with love and family and faith. You can make life good or you can make it bad." In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Odell said she wrote her children's book to show youngsters, especially those with physical disabilities, that they should never give up. "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you see someone do the same thing," she said.
Her medical costs were approximately $60,000 per year. However, her family refused to institutionalize her. To help the family, the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation and the Campbell Street Church of Christ established the Dianne Odell Fund. In 2001, a website, www.dianneodell.com, was set up to provide users with a brief biography of Odell and a way to donate money or services to help with her care. A number of fundraisers, some featuring celebrities, were also held to raise money to allow her to remain at home.
On February 17, 2007 (the Saturday following her 60th birthday), she was temporarily moved to The New Southern Hotel in Jackson
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, for celebrations attended by approximately 200 guests and with a nine-foot birthday cake. She also received letters from well-wishes from people all over the country. That same month, a German film crew visited Dianne to do a story about her life.
Odell's life was threatened by power outages in 1957 and 1974 which disabled her respirator. However, she survived with the help of her family who hand-pumped the respirator until power was restored. In 1995, the Tennessee Valley Authority provided the Odell family with a generator large enough to power the house, in case of future power outages.
Odell died on May 28, 2008 at age 61. A power failure and the failure of an emergency generator cut off her breathing device's functions. Family members attempted to use the emergency hand pump attached to the iron lung to keep her breathing, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
External links
- A lifetime in an iron lung: courage in the face of a cruel disease by Guy Adams, The Independent, May 30, 2008.