While Carol A. Crumby has scaled back her active roles due to post-polio symptoms, her commitment to restoring the overall quality of life for different communities throughout metro Atlanta remains steadfast.
“I still try to do what I can when I can,” Crumby said. “Dealing with life survival as a young person, I became determined and engaged with people.”
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
As a polio survivor and tireless advocate for others, Crumby has spearheaded multiple projects over the years to help low-income communities. Today, she continues to support the South DeKalb Improvement Association Education (SDIAE), the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta Post-Polio Association. Her on-call expertise is sought for strategic input on community projects in DeKalb County, helping link individuals in need of resources with key contacts.
“Carol was our spark,” said Ella Davis, SDIAE executive director. “I remember us sitting in a room doing our first grant and we’d be putting our ideas on the whiteboard coming up with what we needed to do for our grants.”
“It was a part of my job that ended up being my passion here in the community even today,” Crumby said.
Crumby plays a pivotal role in helping children, adults and families have access to education and career opportunities. She leverages her efforts through literacy, economic and parental educational workshops. She also leads vocational or job readiness training, housing sustainability and college prep programs. Through her ministry with Women’s Victorious Church, Crumby donates clothing and household items for the ministry’s ongoing homelessness relief project.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Crumby was diagnosed with polio at 7 years old — five years before doctors created the trial polio vaccine. She faced challenges from progressive muscle weakness and fatigue, accompanied by periodic pain. Now, she uses an ankle-foot orthosis, a crutch and a rollator to support her movement.
“I was and still am a physical handicap, but you can’t focus on that,” she said.
On top of Crumby’s many passions, her experience with polio led her to join the Atlanta Post-Polio Association in hopes of helping survivors become more aware of the long-term effects of the disease and the available care. Through the association, she met Dr. Dale Strasser, a former Emory Hospital physical medicine and rehabilitation physician.
“Carol is a team player, has high emotional intelligence and is empathetic in the way she cares for others, but she wasn’t in denial,” Strasser said. “She knows that she has to help herself in order to help those around her.”
HOW TO HELP
For more information on Atlanta Post-Polio Association, go to atlantapostpolio.com.
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