In December 1952, during the peak of America’s polio epidemic, a Springfield boy named Gwinn Hinkle sat on his porch, unable to join his classmates at Sunshine School. Polio had taken away his strength and isolated him from the life he once knew.
But on a winter night just before Christmas, his classmates wouldn’t let him feel forgotten. They gathered outside his home and sang Christmas carols into the cold air, their voices surrounding him with warmth and a sense of belonging.
A photographer from the Springfield News & Leader captured the moment on December 21, 1952. The photo shows Gwinn bundled up on his porch, listening with a quiet smile as the music reached him.
This is more than just a holiday memory—it’s a reminder that compassion can bridge even the deepest distances. Even in the shadow of fear and illness, kindness found a way to sing.