# Little House on the Prairie question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676 "2001-04-12T04:00:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/1 "2001-04-12T04:00:03Z")
Hi, Help me settle a bet. How did Mary become blind? I say congenital disorder, my friend says it had something to do with a tragic event in her life (i.e. a fire) Prove me right, prove my friend wrong, settle the bet. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/2 "2001-04-12T04:03:42Z")
You are right. It just happens. No tragic event. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/3 "2001-04-12T04:23:28Z")
[[I’m a 15 year old male and I know this, shoot me now.]] Thatis _so frigging cute_! ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/4 "2001-04-12T04:37:49Z")
::feels the love:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/5 "2001-04-12T04:42:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JillGat \* > \*\*Thatis _so frigging cute_! \*\* Excuse me, Jill, but shouldn’t this comment be in [IMHO](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=66487)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/6 "2001-04-12T04:46:11Z")
According to [this site](http://www.bright.net/~hohenbri/season4.htm), Mary’s blindness was gradual, but the episode guide does not list a specific reason. IIRC, though (from the books), it was a disease process of some kind. Robin ---
**Author:** ![mdf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mdf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdf)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/7 "2001-04-12T04:52:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IBBen \* > \*\*Hi, > > Help me settle a bet. How did Mary become blind? > > I say congenital disorder, my friend says it had something to do with a tragic event in her life (i.e. a fire) > > Prove me right, prove my friend wrong, settle the bet. > > Thank you. \*\* In the book By The Shores of Silver Lake, Harper Trophy edition, 1971 printing, pages1-2: > [@](#): > > Mary and Carrie and baby Grace and Ma had all had scarlet fever. The Nelsons across the creek had had it too, so there had been no one to help Pa and Laura. The doctor had come every day; Pa did not know how he could pay the bill. Far worst of all, the fever had settled in Mary’s eyes, and Mary was now blind. [sub]Thanks to my wife, who is a certified LHotP fan. We’ve even routed vacations so as to visit LIW sites.[/sub] This is of course what actually happened to the real Mary Ingalls, and my wife further states that she beleives she read in a biography that Mary had had a stroke that contributed to her condition. No cite for that…yet. -mdf ---
**Author:** ![shell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@shell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shell)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-house-on-the-prairie-question/61676/8 "2001-04-12T04:59:31Z")
I believe it was scarlet fever/german measles that eventually blinded Mary. I can check with great-great aunt Faye who runs the LIW museum in Walnut to make sure, IBBen.