In the summer of 1944, as a devastating polio outbreak swept across North Carolina, hospitals were overwhelmed and children were dying. But in Hickory, a small city already stretched thin by World War II, something extraordinary happened. In just 54 hours, volunteers built a full-scale emergency hospital from scratch—offering cutting-edge treatment, compassionate care, and hope to hundreds of young patients. In this episode, we tell the true story of the “Miracle of Hickory,” where carpenters, nurses, teachers, and even prisoners came together to battle a deadly disease—and won.

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