50/50 Chance, A (1967)

[Music] [Music] [Applause] Jerry don't worry dear I'll be all right what about the kids who's with them they're okay honey Sally's taking care of them you should be with them dear they're so young and they'll Imagine All Sorts why don't you go home for dinner they'll take good care of me here Carol's right Jerry the children need some reassurance now be a nurse on duty in this room around the clock myself or another doctor within call you better go home all right but I'll be back first thing in the morning I love you honey [Music] Dr Simmons what is this with Carol how bad is she you've known us for years I want you to give it to me straight what's what's happening to her I'll be frank with you Jerry she has tetus a highly dangerous disease she's going to be a very sick girl right now I can't honestly tell you how sick but be prepared for this she's going to have a rough time at the very best she'll be in the hospital for weeks and weeks now you take good care of the youngsters and we'll let you know if there's any change here thank you Doctor I'll be back in the morning I know you'll do everything I mean of course we will Jerry everything possible what I can't figure doctor why Carol wasn't immunized for this thing immunized she always put it off no time this week that sort of thing and now now is the payoff see you tomorrow doctor you see the hospital's the best place mom will have everything she needs there special nurses and all we'll make out until she feels better but Dad mom must feel real sick because she never gives in yes Mike she is sick and you're right she has courage that's why I know she'll be home again in a few weeks until then we'll just have to run the house we'll do all we can to help Dad won't we Jenny sure Dad I'll do the dishes every night you'll see I know you will well uh give me a kiss and get to bed tomorrow's a school day H dad mom will come home won't she she has to sir she just has to we'll say our prayers for tonight dad she'll be all [Music] right if she'd just gotten her shots when I think back on how it happened it just doesn't seem possible [Music] How could a little scratch like that cause so much trouble she didn't even say anything about it that day everything went along the same as usual Jerry how are the hamburgers coming the kids will be here in a minute coming up see onions pickle relish chili sauce the works I estimated six for Mike do you think that'll hold it h here come the troops now hey Dad you should have seen the scrimmage I completed four passes the last one was about 50 yards well 30 anyway well now that's great champ I'm sorry I got home too late to be there there sit down dinner's ready say mom could you wash my uniform so it'll be clean for the game tomorrow sure Mar I'll do it I don't know what we'd do without her she holds the whole family together yes Mom you never think about something you have until you don't have it anymore how long was it before she started feeling bad it all happen so fast Jerry hi Jer what are you doing I thought you were playing bridge well I'm not feeling so good that's why I called well what's wrong oh I feel kind of feverish and have this stiffness in all my muscles and and then well I I'm weak all over and and I have a splitting headache another thing I don't know exactly how to explain it but well I'm so Restless or something well I I bought the kids out this morning and they really didn't do anything wrong wrong well maybe you ought to um give the doctor a call you think so too well then I'll call Dr Simmons it it's probably nothing serious but well I'd feel better anyway listen let me know as soon as you find out something with you okay I'll call and let you know bye sweetie Carol you know I'm not disposed to be an alarmist quite the contrary but after what you told me on the phone I felt it my duty to order you down here on the double some things you can't let go now try and remember just when it was that you got this scratch and how let's see it must have been yes Tuesday in the middle of the morning I was gardening and something in the mosh I don't know what it was nicked my finger a little and that's all in the mulch so your hands were dirty well you can't garden and keep Snow White hands you know yes I know my wife has a green thumb too Carol you never got those uh tetanus immunizations we talked about did you no I I just never did get around to it do you suppose that might be what's wrong well I don't say that it is but it could very well be we're going to admit you to the hospital for observation and further testing right [Music] now what a shock it was when the doctor told me teetus lock jaw something you never even think about [Music] hello oh yes Sally thanks so much for staying with the kids today I don't know yet but I'm going over first thing in the morning I surely will and thanks for calling bye good morning is Dr Simmons in Dr Simmons is in with your wife now Mr winning why don't you step down the hall and wait for him thank you oh here he comes now morning doctor how's Carol this morning about as expected Jerry I told you was going to be a long tough fight she is uh going to get worse before she gets better we have to face that we've had one good break though she's shown no adverse reaction to tetanos at of toxin so we've been able to give her large doses of that it should help can I see her well yes but Jerry uh yes it's not pretty and uh be very quiet any little noise or vibration could cause a spasm Well w she know who I am oh yes she's conscious itated but she'll know you [Music] [Music] doctor can't you do anything Jerry we're doing everything we can she's trying to get your attention don't take it so hard noce that as it looks [Music] clock jaw why does she have to suffer well you have every right to be upset Jerry but this can happen to anybody who isn't protected and the suffering goes with it let's find a seat I'll give you some background so you'll have a better picture of what's going on Jerry tetanus bacteria grow in the intestines of grass-eating animals such as Horses or cows so as you may guess they're frequently found around barnyards and Fields used for grazing but this doesn't mean they're just way out in the country far from City life there are dares in and around every city in the United States and that means cows there are hiding Stables Park areas zoos many different activities involving grass eating animals wherever you are further and this is even more significant when the bacteria in the soil dry up tiny spores are formed each one as deadly as the bacteria and they live almost indefinitely these spores can go anywhere carried by the wind and lie and wait for a victim and the not just Outdoors they're brought into homes churches schools everywhere on shoes and clothing it's safe to say that ketos spores may be found in any room you enter of course the spores may be concentrated wherever manure is used to fertilize trees shrubs and flowers that's probably the source of Carol's infection We Fear uh the spores or bacteria most in dirty wounds such as puncture some Nails gunshots wounds from automobi axis but they can enter the body through any break in the skin no matter how superficial over 50% of all cases come from wounds so trivial that people don't even seek medical attention and usually involve an abrasion which is contaminated with soil such as the scratch on Carol's finger all everybody's exposed to tetanus because everybody gets a scratch occasionally certain types of occupations are more frequently exposed for example construction workers field hands outdoor laborers industrial workers and plants and factories who who work with their hands and then there are children you know how active they are always falling down scraping a knee or a hand recently women have become more and more exposed to you see more than ever they're participating in sports going camping working in gardens they need protection just as much as men do once inside the body the germs produce a powerful nerve toxin or poison that causes painful convulsions or spasms of the voluntary muscle one of the most frequently affected muscles is the jaw muscle causing the patient's jaw to close tightly this characteristic symptom gave rise to the common or sing name for tetus lock jaw over half the infected people die from the disease unless treated quickly I hope we've caught Carol in time the terrible thing about tetanus is that it's absolutely unnecessary it should never happen yet we have hundreds of cases each year in this country remember when you were in the service and you got your tetus immunization well tetus vaccine is for all practical purposes 100% effective and there's virtually no serious reactions of course you should have booster immunizations at regular interval there are no documented cases of immunized person dying from test most men get their immunization in the service so a big problem is with women they should be immunized too for the past uh 30 years or so immunizations have been given to infants in combination with dpia and hooping cough oh don't worry Mike and Jenny have had theirs but there are millions of children under five who've never had this protection they need immunization another thing tetus is no respector of age either it strikes any time from birth to old age there are millions of elderly people in the United States who've never been immunized and should be there'd be no ketnas in the United States at all if everyone would get their immunizations but that's water over the dam for Carol if she pulls through this time we'll make sure she's immunized you mean she could get it again oh yes having this disease does not confer immunity you must have the toxoid you just said over half of the people die what are Carol's chances that's the truth Jerry Carol has a 5050 chance maybe a little better her symptoms have progressed rather slowly that's on the good side let's just say she's holding her own right now so if there's no change tonight there's no use you sitting around here much better you be home with the kids if you are needed I'll call you [Music] [Music] what would I do without her what would the children do she just can't she just can't Dad Dad yes what do you want honey well mama always reads my spelling words to me before test could you do it for me dad why certainly he let me see the book you ready uh necessary n e c e s s a r y right habitation h a b i t a t i o n hello yes yes of course I'll be there right away Mike I've got to go to the hospital for a little while you go next door and tell Mrs Barnes will you she'll come over and stay with you and I'll see you in the morning what's the matter Dad they just uh they just want to talk to me son you mind Mrs Barnes now okay Dad you got here in a hurry Jerry sit down for a moment collect yourself oh I'm all right what's wrong is she worse well she's had learn G faasm that means closing off her windpipe which could stop her breathing we've had to insert a tube in her windpipe this is one of the hazards of petness well what are her chances now well the odds have certainly gotten worse it's not hopeless but it's not a good situation if we can pull her through tonight I'd say she has a good chance then can I see her well if uh you make it brief she's heavily sedated she may not know you this time [Music] [Music] for [Music] she'll get through the night she'll make it all right things will be like they always were happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Daddy happy birthday to me [Music] [Music] she's not going to make it there's no sense in killing myself she's she's not going to make it [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Gary come out of it godone what's what's the matter you're exhausted that's what's the matter 3 days of no sleep finally caught up with you it's morning morning how's Carol good news her condition improved during the night she's going to pull through we feel sure why don't you go call the kids they're scared too and then come on back here okay I'll call she's going to be all right oh man what a dream she's coming [Music] home hello hi Dad she is sure sure bye mom's going to be all right Dad just said so she'll come home well what did the kids think about the good news I talked to Mike and he was really pleased good good uh can I see Carol now well it' be best if you can wait this afternoon to see her Jerry she's still a mighty sick girl and will be for several days she'll stay here in the hospital for quite a while those stiff rigid muscles and spasms will persist but they'll gradually get fewer and further apart until she's completely recovered I can tell you this we were lucky Mighty lucky tetus is something doctors dread as I told you before even with prompt Round the Clock treatment we still lose about 50% of the cases and without treatment death is virtually certain I just never knew if people only realize this sort of thing wouldn't happen right well I won't keep you anymore all maybe I got to get some breakfast in me it's a good idea I'm going back to Carol I'll I'll see you this afternoon so unnecessary there wouldn't be a case of tetus in this country ever if people would just get immunized [Applause] [Music]