News, The real reason Mary Ingalls went blind was it because of scarlet fever or not? (Lost, house)

[JD59]

If you watched "Little House on the Prairie," chances are you remember the story of Mary Ingalls.

The television show and popular book series drew on the real-life experiences of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Mary, Laura's sister, went blind as a teenager after contracting scarlet fever, according to the story. Now a team of medical researchers are raising questions about whether that's true.

The real reason Mary Ingalls went blind – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

[rckgrl]

Interesting. I adored those books when I was young, had the whole series and read them multiple times.

[Brynach]

Interesting. Thanks for posting it.

[Oildog]

I figured it was for TV ratings...made the illness easier for the public to understand. I'm sure many illnesses were lumped together back then.

[picklejuice]

Very interesting!

[Mightyqueen801]

That is interesting, but I was surprised that the article didn't mention Helen Keller. I'd always read that she lost her sight and hearing because of scarlet fever.

So, I just looked it up, and a few articles say that it was possibly scarlet fever OR meningitis, and one article mentioned rubella.

[theoldnorthstate]

Read a long time ago that Mary Ingalls Wilder's books were a bit more of a romantic notion of the people and such. But it was fiction.

Don't think (from what I read) that Pa was as successful as he was portrayed. But I remember my Dad very fondly so who wouldn't.

So no surprise that there may be poetic license taken with Mary's blindness

Think Little Women was also a what we wish it were as well

Cannot source all of this, just read it and said hummm

[Ohiogirl81]

Does it really matter more than 100 years later why Mary Ingalls was blind?

[hellpaso]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Does it really matter more than 100 years later why Mary Ingalls was blind?

Lol--not at all! But obviously, at least six people were interested enough to read & respond, & you were compelled to comment!

FWIW, I never read the books or watched the TV show--never could stand Michael Landon.

[VeeGer]

I had Scarlet Fever when I was very little, lost most of my hearing and almost my life.

That disease's no joke.