The Life of Legendary MASH* Actor Alan Alda

At age seven, Alda suffered a severe case of polio. The illness was frightening and physically limiting, and at its worst, he reportedly could move only his left arm.

For a young child already living in a restless show-business family, the experience was overwhelming. Polio forced him into painful treatment and long recovery, but it also gave him an early understanding of fear, patience, and vulnerability before another difficult chapter began.