Evelyn Isabelle West was the fifth of six children of Lewis and Ellen West. She was born in July 1916 while her father was in the military, about to embark for England in World War 1. He returned to Canada at the start of 1918.
On October 2, 1926 Evelyn was admitted to the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto with Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis. She died on October 7th and was buried on October 8th at St. Andrew's Presbyterian church in Scarborough, Ontario. Her parents were later buried there also.
Acute anterior poliomyelitis- Definition: Acute anterior poliomyelitis is commonly referred to as "short-term polio." It is an infectious disease caused by a virus called "poliovirus", which attacks the nervous system and can cause total paralysis. Acute anterior poliomyelitis is a highly contagious disease that mainly affects children under the age of 5. In 95% of cases, the infection goes unnoticed, but in one case out of 200, is responsible for serious symptoms affecting the movement of neurons located in the anterior parts of the spinal cord. In children, the disease is also known as Heine-Medin disease, but it can also directly affect adults, where it is called acute spinal paralysis. Symptoms: The symptoms of acute anterior poliomyelitis in its severe form, called acute spinal paralysis, are: sudden onset of fever; headaches; stiffness in the neck and back; aches, and for certain muscles deep muscle pain with atrophy; a stopping of bone development, which generates large deformations; irregular paralysis affecting several areas of the body evolving towards permanent paralysis.