SYLVIA HAS A BIRTHDAY

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20284, 28 August 1937, Page 21 (Supplement)

SYLVIA HAS A BIRTHDAY

A WONDERFUL PARTY FOR THE SUNSHINE WARD. Sylvia Busby was thirteen years old on August 19, but her birthday party was held on Saturday, the flrst day of the school holidays when all her little friends could come. Sylvia has been a patient In the Waikato Hospital for eleven and a-half years. In fact her* Is the oldest name on the Hospital books. The long road that winds over the hllL and the lltle glimpse of blue lake that one gets at the bottom through the hospital trees, Sylvia knows as well as you would know every tree In your schoolgrounds, or gardens at home. And Sylvia was Queen of the Sunshine Ward on Saturday afternoon when among her visitors were the Mayor of Hamilton, her Daddy and sister from Te Kutti, Miss Monzies the Lady Superintendent, the Ward Sister, her schoolteacher and Sunday schoolteacher, the President of the Sunshine League, Mr Arthur Fow and Mrs Fow, "Uncle Charlie." a great friend of Sylvia’s, members of the Sunshine League, and the convener of the Women’s Division of the Sunshine League, Mrs I. Owsley, who arranged the party. And Mr Gaze had come too, to take a photo of Sylvia with all her gifts. The Ward was like a gay garden with every kind of flower you can imagine and all the windows open with sunbeams Just pouring in to enjoy the fun. The party opened with all the girls and boys (and there were lots) chorusing "Happy Birthday” and presenting to Sylvia their gifts and flowers. Then Avon and Patty Bluett in national costume danced the Highland Fling and Avon also sang. Lorna Bridges recited and gave a realistic Maori haka and tap dances were given by Shirley Slade and Jacqueline Rice. The Whitiora schoolgirls who had come up for the party did three jolly folk dances under the direction of Miss M. Ewan, called "Hunsdon House,” "Dargason" and “Merry, Merry Milkmaids" and then was the greatest excitement of all—the (birthday tea! All -the little people of the Sunshine Ward were there, two and three in bed so that they might see all the fun. and as Sylvia’s favourite colour is pink everything was pink. The big double decker cake was pink with "Sylvia" on the top, and Sylvia herself was all dressed In pink with pink ribbons on her bed. and the trifles had pink on the top too, there was never such a party (before. Miss Monzies lit the candles and Sylvias with a large puff, blew them out. and "Uncle Charlie" cut the cake, after which tea was served to everybody. A wonderful day closed with "She’s A Jolly Good Fellow” sung very lustily by lots of little voices, and as the evening closed down there were only drowsy little murmurs from the Sunshine Ward People still talking about Sylvia’s birthday party.