A ROTARY EFFORT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1929, Page 3

A ROTARY EFFORT

CRIPPLED CHILDREN. SYDNEY’S GREAT DRIVE. SYDNEY, September 26

The Sydney Rotary Club, anxious to live up to its motto of “..Service,” recently, decided on an important scheme of registering all the 'crippled children of Sydney, in older to have them medically examined, so that their needs could be fully understood by the community. 'lhe parents of these children were invited by advertisements published in all the newspapers to send particulars to the club, and the dub members undertook to see that ca ll child so registered was taken to the Sydney Hospital for a complete examination. It was 'felt by the club that the public did not understand the intense suffering that went on from day to* day in their midst by children whose parents in many cases were, unable to afford the treatment that was necessary. Moreover, it was felt that there were many children who were needlessly crippled; that is to say, - there were chill'd n who would ienefit h.v skilled treatment once the cause of .the afflictions was properly diagnosed. It took the Rotary Club three months to register the crippled children, and what a pathetic record the registrar .had when the work was finished! Hundreds of names were m•iude’d, and it was not till then that the magnitude of the task that had been under caken seemed to dawn on members, • But there was no backpedalling. They had promised to undertake, a certain work and they were going forward with it. With customary generosity, other sections of the community joined in the movement, especially the British Medical \ssociation and the hospitals. Gradually the list mounted, until the amazing total of more than 2000 names had been secured. Of course, many of these are under constant mtdical attention,, but the idea is that such cases should eventually be brought to the care of specie lists—that one doctor Shall consult with another —and that the most good possible will be done for the young sufferers. Of course, it must not be considered that the Rotary Club will be able to

ndertake the treatment of all these sufferers. The cripples have been formed into groups, and they will be jxaniined in batches of about 10J bj volunteer medical men. The cases will pe classified, and the particulars gained carefully studied. Then, and not until then, will the next move he decided upon. Probably it will end in an appeal to the people as a whole to supply funds so that needy and deserving erases can be .dealt .nice with tfie..needs of the case. Tlie ,irst batch of children—lo0 —was examined at the Sydney, Hospital last Saturday and other batches have been 'examined since.- So-there.is a silver .ining in the cloud that overhangs the fives of cripples. ..> , Rarely had such a pathetic sight been seen in Sydney as that witnessed at the Sydney Hospital when, it was. turned into a sort of clearing-house for the crippled. Tliere were little to,ts of four and five—and some even younger—who were carried into the wards, their faces writhed in pain.. In many cases their little, twisted, limbs were encased in iron or bandages—title people living in the half-darkness : f their affliction. But the faces, pained though they were, were yet oi iglit with the hope that this gesture on the part of Rotary- held in store for them a cure. One little chap, and he was the merriest of them all,, was only six, but he had spent four,of liis years in a hospital bed, with the certainty that he would spend many more years there. He had undergone countless . operations, but there is still hope that some day he will able to use the limbs that have been, of no ,use to him so far.

The club hopes to arouse the Government and the people so that some day an institution will be established for these, ppor souls, and when it goes cap in hand to both •it intends to he well-: armed with information that will-cause a loosening of the purse strings.