The Taylor family was living in Auckland, but just getting ready to move down to Mamaku where Phyllis' mother Christina had bought them a 7 acre farm and house. Errol was about 2 and was taken to the hospital with 'weeping ears'. The family moved without him, but could get little information about him from the hospital. Finally they had a neighbour take them up to Auckland (as they didn't have enough money to make the journey on their own). The hospital admitted then that Errol had contracted polio in both legs and his hips while in the hospital. He ended up staying there for about 2 years altogether. When he returned to the family, he was frightened of many things - cats, dogs, horses. He had never seen a stove, and would keep asking Phyllis "Are you my Mother?"