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The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times: A Memoir
From the well-known CBC journalist comes a story of hardship, resilience and repeatedly learning the same lesson.
Peter Kavanagh was just an infant when he was diagnosed with paralytic polio and suffered permanent paralysis in the lower part of his left leg. As a child, Kavanagh endured painful medical procedures to even out the length of his legs, and experimental exercise techniques. He spent his youth in a leg brace and special footwear, isolating for a boy whose classmates ran freely in sneakers. His first lesson in walking was how to move while wearing such equipment. Throughout his life, as he developed a very successful career in public broadcasting, built a family, and indulged in his love of music and travel, Kavanagh underwent various surgeries and rehabilitation to give him "normal" mobility.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is a moving memoir of a full life, and of learning the same lesson over and over. Like Oliver Sacks's books and Marni Jackson's classic The Fifth Vital Sign , it combines medical history with a very personal case study. It documents coping with one's pain, guilt and shame, and the anger that arises from being bullied. But this book is also a story of healing and rehabilitation, and of hard lessons, hard earned--about the courage to keep going and, if one way isn't working, the awareness and bravery to try something new. Over time, these decisions and lessons help form a sense of identity; as Kavanagh says, "Walking is the key to who I am."
Peter Kavanagh was just an infant when he was diagnosed with paralytic polio and suffered permanent paralysis in the lower part of his left leg. As a child, Kavanagh endured painful medical procedures to even out the length of his legs, and experimental exercise techniques. He spent his youth in a leg brace and special footwear, isolating for a boy whose classmates ran freely in sneakers. His first lesson in walking was how to move while wearing such equipment. Throughout his life, as he developed a very successful career in public broadcasting, built a family, and indulged in his love of music and travel, Kavanagh underwent various surgeries and rehabilitation to give him "normal" mobility.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is a moving memoir of a full life, and of learning the same lesson over and over. Like Oliver Sacks's books and Marni Jackson's classic The Fifth Vital Sign , it combines medical history with a very personal case study. It documents coping with one's pain, guilt and shame, and the anger that arises from being bullied. But this book is also a story of healing and rehabilitation, and of hard lessons, hard earned--about the courage to keep going and, if one way isn't working, the awareness and bravery to try something new. Over time, these decisions and lessons help form a sense of identity; as Kavanagh says, "Walking is the key to who I am."
257 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2015
2 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Peter Kavanagh
1 bookPeter Kavanagh is a veteran of Canadian media, having worked for 25 years at the CBC. In addition to working on the current affairs program The Journal, Peter has also worked as a producer at several of CBC radio's preeminent programs: Morningside, Sunday Edition, Ideas, Writers and Company and This Morning. In addition, Peter writes for print publications and websites in North America and Europe. In addition, Peter writes for print publications and websites in North America and Europe.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 13, 2018
This book really hit home as my mother also had polio as child and walking was huge a part of her life. She did not let it define her but it certainly was part of her life. The struggles the author has had are a fascinating look into the human spirit and also how one needs to always adapt and persevere.
July 26, 2015
This novel is a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit and the debilitating effect of chronic pain. As I wait for surgery to replace my right hip, I am incredibly touched by the courage of Kavanagh to share the emotional burden that his health issues placed on his ability to walk. "There is so much associated with walking beyond the idea of locomotion and mobility. Walking can denote status, attitude and psychological state. Walking speaks volumes." "But those whom I'd thought were my friends jeered at me, pelted me with fruit and other stuff lying in the weeds on the edges of yards, and ran off, as only kids who have spent years learning to run can." Kavanagh's emotion when describing wearing sneakers for the first time is such a tender moment.
This book is so educational. I had no idea that polio was such a devastating illness in Canada. Born in 1954, it was so interesting to learn that there was a 1953 epidemic (9000 Canadians infected with polio), the peak of a new series of polio infections that had begun in Canada in 1949. Dr. Jonas Salk's development of the polio vaccine is an achievement for Canada to celebrate. I had no idea that Paul Martin Sr. had contracted polio in 1907 as well as his son, former prime minister Paul Martin Jr. in 1946. Canada was only declared "polio free" in 1994.
As a huge fan of CBC Radio, it is exciting to place a human story to a name that I know from radio.
This book is so educational. I had no idea that polio was such a devastating illness in Canada. Born in 1954, it was so interesting to learn that there was a 1953 epidemic (9000 Canadians infected with polio), the peak of a new series of polio infections that had begun in Canada in 1949. Dr. Jonas Salk's development of the polio vaccine is an achievement for Canada to celebrate. I had no idea that Paul Martin Sr. had contracted polio in 1907 as well as his son, former prime minister Paul Martin Jr. in 1946. Canada was only declared "polio free" in 1994.
As a huge fan of CBC Radio, it is exciting to place a human story to a name that I know from radio.
March 3, 2016
I read this book following a recommendation by a CBC radio staffer, Shelagh Rogers, which was posted on the Calgary Public libraries website. I am glad that I read it. Kavanagh is a person with a positive outlook on life despite all the challenges thrown his way. It was also an interesting look at the evolution of the Canadian healthcare and medical system.
November 7, 2017
Shortly before polio became eradicated in Canada, Peter Kavanagh came into the world and lost the lottery. One of the last North Americans whose life was marred by the devastating impact of polio, Kavanagh has never known what it's like to walk easily and without pain. His memoir is a searing exploration of the insistent shadow polio clamped down over his life.
Reading the litany of surgery, physiotherapy, and anything else medically possible to alleviate his suffering could make him into something of a saint. Fortunately, he is too candid for that. He writes openly of the emotional toll, of his embarrassment at being so different, of his sense of aggrievement at having to deal with the outfall of polio.
That he has been able to accomplish so much in life is impressive. His intelligence and determination have given him the strength to endure and succeed. I would like to have read more about the life he built around polio, but Kavanagh stays, and probably for the best, focused on the disease's lifelong effects.
For anyone living with someone with a chronic condition, or for anyone dealing with chronic pain, reading this book to the end may be a lifeline. Surgeries and medication often offer only temporary relief. After a lifetime of pain, Kavanagh turned to Buddhism and meditation, with results it's worth reading to the end to discover.
Reading the litany of surgery, physiotherapy, and anything else medically possible to alleviate his suffering could make him into something of a saint. Fortunately, he is too candid for that. He writes openly of the emotional toll, of his embarrassment at being so different, of his sense of aggrievement at having to deal with the outfall of polio.
That he has been able to accomplish so much in life is impressive. His intelligence and determination have given him the strength to endure and succeed. I would like to have read more about the life he built around polio, but Kavanagh stays, and probably for the best, focused on the disease's lifelong effects.
For anyone living with someone with a chronic condition, or for anyone dealing with chronic pain, reading this book to the end may be a lifeline. Surgeries and medication often offer only temporary relief. After a lifetime of pain, Kavanagh turned to Buddhism and meditation, with results it's worth reading to the end to discover.
May 10, 2017
Kavanagh is certainly a remarkable man - very persistant and intellectual. It is wonderful that after all he's been through in his 60 years he can appreciate life with acceptance and realizes the importance of the present moment with gratitude.
The book exudes strength and determination. Good lessons for us all.
I particularly enjoyed reading of the role of Vaiva Underys, the physiotherapist at Pivot and the remarkable Dr. Khalid Syed at Toronto Western Hospital. What a difference they made!
The book exudes strength and determination. Good lessons for us all.
I particularly enjoyed reading of the role of Vaiva Underys, the physiotherapist at Pivot and the remarkable Dr. Khalid Syed at Toronto Western Hospital. What a difference they made!
August 17, 2015
Originally printed in the Winnipeg Free Press on May 16, 2015
Being able to walk is something most people take for granted. But for noted television, print and radio journalist Peter Kavanagh, best-known for his work at the CBC, it's been hard to do -- and something he's had to do three times.
"Walking is the key to who I am. How I walk today, the canes and walking sticks I have owned, the braces I have worn and wear, the shoes I can't buy, the shoes I can, how I think about my walking, how other people think of my walking -- all have been ravelled together and constitute the heart of me."
In The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times, Kavanagh shares his compelling story of perseverance and his determination not to be defined by his limp or the pain, but to walk despite it all.
Kavanagh's father was a project manager for a construction company, and the family was often transferred. When Kavanagh was two months old he contracted polio, which left his lower left leg paralyzed and weak.
Each time they transferred, Kavanagh had to adjust to new schools, teachers and doctors. He was often bullied both by his four siblings and kids at school, but honestly notes that he bullied right back by using words and developing a cutting wit.
When he was nine, he had an experimental surgery to help his shorter left leg grow longer. But three years later, doctors realized it wasn't just polio that had affected his ability to walk. He was diagnosed with congenital hip displaysia (a dislocated hip), which had likely been present since birth.
The ball and the socket of the hip had been grinding away at each other for so long they were completely gone. So he had another surgery done which fixed his femur to his pelvis.
Kavanagh spent a year confined to his bed, most of the time in a body cast, which helped him foster his interest in politics and the news. While he explains the medical terms and jargon very well, his spare, journalistic writing style detaches the story from the emotional aspect of the ordeal -- of how he was affected by the isolation, bullying and loneliness.
After his body cast was removed he managed to learn to walk again, but still had a significant limp and problems with his gait. He also broke his foot a number of times and by his early 40s, ended up in a brace and special shoes.
While his parents turned to Catholicism to try and understand his health issues and the associated guilt and anger, Kavanagh explains how he turned to Buddhism and meditation as an adult to try and manage pain, as well his issues with self-esteem and self-identity.
In 2012, at age 59, he underwent hip-reconstruction surgery and months of rehabilitation to learn to walk again for the third time in his life.
Throughout the book, he focuses on how the surgeries and the physical pain affected his relationships with his parents, family and school friends. However, he doesn't reference it much in relation to his studies or career until later in the book, and then only as he decides to retire.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is a well-written look at how walking is not something we're born knowing how to do. Instead, Kavanagh notes it's something precious and important, and the freedom it gives should be valued and appreciated throughout our lives.
Being able to walk is something most people take for granted. But for noted television, print and radio journalist Peter Kavanagh, best-known for his work at the CBC, it's been hard to do -- and something he's had to do three times.
"Walking is the key to who I am. How I walk today, the canes and walking sticks I have owned, the braces I have worn and wear, the shoes I can't buy, the shoes I can, how I think about my walking, how other people think of my walking -- all have been ravelled together and constitute the heart of me."
In The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times, Kavanagh shares his compelling story of perseverance and his determination not to be defined by his limp or the pain, but to walk despite it all.
Kavanagh's father was a project manager for a construction company, and the family was often transferred. When Kavanagh was two months old he contracted polio, which left his lower left leg paralyzed and weak.
Each time they transferred, Kavanagh had to adjust to new schools, teachers and doctors. He was often bullied both by his four siblings and kids at school, but honestly notes that he bullied right back by using words and developing a cutting wit.
When he was nine, he had an experimental surgery to help his shorter left leg grow longer. But three years later, doctors realized it wasn't just polio that had affected his ability to walk. He was diagnosed with congenital hip displaysia (a dislocated hip), which had likely been present since birth.
The ball and the socket of the hip had been grinding away at each other for so long they were completely gone. So he had another surgery done which fixed his femur to his pelvis.
Kavanagh spent a year confined to his bed, most of the time in a body cast, which helped him foster his interest in politics and the news. While he explains the medical terms and jargon very well, his spare, journalistic writing style detaches the story from the emotional aspect of the ordeal -- of how he was affected by the isolation, bullying and loneliness.
After his body cast was removed he managed to learn to walk again, but still had a significant limp and problems with his gait. He also broke his foot a number of times and by his early 40s, ended up in a brace and special shoes.
While his parents turned to Catholicism to try and understand his health issues and the associated guilt and anger, Kavanagh explains how he turned to Buddhism and meditation as an adult to try and manage pain, as well his issues with self-esteem and self-identity.
In 2012, at age 59, he underwent hip-reconstruction surgery and months of rehabilitation to learn to walk again for the third time in his life.
Throughout the book, he focuses on how the surgeries and the physical pain affected his relationships with his parents, family and school friends. However, he doesn't reference it much in relation to his studies or career until later in the book, and then only as he decides to retire.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is a well-written look at how walking is not something we're born knowing how to do. Instead, Kavanagh notes it's something precious and important, and the freedom it gives should be valued and appreciated throughout our lives.
January 21, 2016
This is the memoir of the author growing up with polio and permanent paralysis in the lower part of his left leg. This is obviously not a happy story and perhaps one can imagine the physical toll of growing up with this condition. Kavanagh also describes the emotional toll: the guilt, the shame, the blows to his self-esteem, the anger that attend side by side with the physical suffering and not being able to do the many things that those in good health take for granted.
At the same time we see someone with the strong desire to heal and live a full life. At one point he is asked whether he would have wished for a "magic pill" that could erase entirely the memory of this disease. He replies that no, " After all, I am who I am because of what I have experienced. If significant parts of it could be eliminated, what would remain of myself? "
When his mother becomes sick, he concludes that being involved with looking after his special needs and her illness are inextricably linked, and therefore indirectly his fault.
This is a story of courage and gradually learning to deal with the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the disease. He gradually reaches that place where he understands the process by which he can return to good health.
At the same time we see someone with the strong desire to heal and live a full life. At one point he is asked whether he would have wished for a "magic pill" that could erase entirely the memory of this disease. He replies that no, " After all, I am who I am because of what I have experienced. If significant parts of it could be eliminated, what would remain of myself? "
When his mother becomes sick, he concludes that being involved with looking after his special needs and her illness are inextricably linked, and therefore indirectly his fault.
This is a story of courage and gradually learning to deal with the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the disease. He gradually reaches that place where he understands the process by which he can return to good health.
April 27, 2015
I requested a copy of this book from Random House of Canada in order to provide an honest review.
This book surprised me. For one, I learned so much about Polio and the epidemic that plagued Canada in the 1950s. Peter's memoir also shed some light on the history of the Canadian health system. It also quickly highlighted his experiences at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, a place that I have a deep connection with. The detail in which this book describes his treatments and rehabilitations are eye-opening. It is hard to believe how much pain and suffering Peter has endured in his lifetime.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is an inspiring story of courage, rehabilitation and the ability to develop one's identity even when faced with impossible situations. I am so happy that I selected this book as one of my April reads and I hope that more Canadians get an opportunity to enjoy it as much as I did.
This book surprised me. For one, I learned so much about Polio and the epidemic that plagued Canada in the 1950s. Peter's memoir also shed some light on the history of the Canadian health system. It also quickly highlighted his experiences at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, a place that I have a deep connection with. The detail in which this book describes his treatments and rehabilitations are eye-opening. It is hard to believe how much pain and suffering Peter has endured in his lifetime.
The Man Who Learned to Walk Three Times is an inspiring story of courage, rehabilitation and the ability to develop one's identity even when faced with impossible situations. I am so happy that I selected this book as one of my April reads and I hope that more Canadians get an opportunity to enjoy it as much as I did.
April 12, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads First-reads draw, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It was a memoir of a man who contracted polio early in life and struggled with the physical and emotional aftermath of this virus. Peter Kavanagh did an excellent job of incorporating his childhood memories into the historical context of polio outbreaks in Canada in the 1950s. In addition to his personal experience of the disease, he was able to add some statistics and historical facts into the story. It is a story of personal strength and perseverance, as the author meets several physical setbacks over the course of his life. I felt like I learned a piece of Canadian history by reading this memoir, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in medical history/history of diseases. This book was a quick read, and was easy to follow as it is written in a way that flows like conversation.
April 13, 2015
I want to thank Goodreads for my ARC of "The Man Who Learned To Walk Three Times" by Peter Kavanaugh published by Penguin Random House Ltd.
It's very much an intimate story of Peter's ongoing narrative w/ childhood Polio that started in the 1950's, Gait Acquisition, chronic pain, the concept of 'misdiagnosis' being an integral part of his family (mother included) and the perception of one's self vs how others' actually see you. Plus so much more.
It was a pleasure to read such a well researched & personal account of one man's struggle to identify himself beyond but still including his 'Gait'.
It's very much an intimate story of Peter's ongoing narrative w/ childhood Polio that started in the 1950's, Gait Acquisition, chronic pain, the concept of 'misdiagnosis' being an integral part of his family (mother included) and the perception of one's self vs how others' actually see you. Plus so much more.
It was a pleasure to read such a well researched & personal account of one man's struggle to identify himself beyond but still including his 'Gait'.
June 16, 2015
I won this book from Goodreads and was afraid that it would be a difficult read. I'm a bit older than the author and very much remember the polio epidemic in Canada and how frightening it was. So to read the story of someone who contacted it as a baby and had to go through so much pain could have been a tough slog but he writes an amazing story. A story of overcoming extreme hardships, unbelievable medical procedures and yet living a full and enriched life. Such a heart warming story of the resilence of a human life. I highly recommend it.
May 25, 2015
What should have been an "easy" read turned out to have dragged on for a week or so. That being said, after reading Peter's story, I don't know if I could have done or dealt with what he had to. He could have easily given up at such an early age with what life had thrown at him. However, he did make it through what life had to give him, and it seemed to make him a stronger person.
March 29, 2015
*I won a free copy of this book from Goodreads first reads*
A very interesting medical memoir. And since I'm laid up with a sprained ankle, and nice reminder that I don't have it that bad, and that with enough perseverance you can overcome nearly anything.
A very interesting medical memoir. And since I'm laid up with a sprained ankle, and nice reminder that I don't have it that bad, and that with enough perseverance you can overcome nearly anything.
Want to read
April 2, 2015I am very grateful and honoured to be a Goodreads winner :)
February 15, 2016
I won this book from a first reads give away on Goodreads.
I really enjoyed this easy to read, uplifting memoir.
It is a story of determination and triumph. I would recommend this book to everyone.
I really enjoyed this easy to read, uplifting memoir.
It is a story of determination and triumph. I would recommend this book to everyone.
May 3, 2015
Such messages of determination, and so easy to read!
May 8, 2015
I too am learning to walk again. This author has written about his experience as if it is mine. Exactly. Thank you.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews