The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-07-26
COPPER CAMP HAS
ACROBATlC INFANT
ORPHAN, so SICKLY 8 MONTHS
AGO NOBODY WOULD
ADOPT HER
DR.. Gertrude Pitkanen Took Chance;
Child, Eight Months Old, Now
Hangs by Her Toes and Swings by
Her Hands.

Three months ago a scrawny, amaze
mci mite OF humanity, undernourish
ed and neglected, too unhealthy fol
the average person to think abou
adopting.
Today probably the strongest child
Of not quite eight months to be found
anywhere within the United States
and already on the way to fame
through moving pictures.
That In brief is the story of Miss
Montana Lily Pitkanen, the adopted
daughter of DR.. Gertrude Pitkaner
of Butte. The child, who was left al
the Butte Maternity home and who
would not be taken by any one else
for adoption because she was such a
"sickly looking little thing" today
shines as a wonderful example of the
methods of child raising put into eff
feet by DR.. Pitkanen.
Once the child almost had another
home. The day after she raj left at
the maternity home to be given to
any one who would take her and vel
come, the weak little mite was re-
turned. Those who might have be-
come her foster parents gave up the
idea after "a hours trial. She re-
manned an orphan until DR.. Pitkanen
came along and decided to give the
youngster whom nobody wanted a
chance to grow up in the world and
become a strong, healthy member of
society.
They Must be Healthy
1t was a demonstration of the fact
that people looking for a child for
adoption crave first of all to take an
infant to their hearts who Is healthy.
Nationality, color of eyes or hair,
religion of parents, size, or even good
looks, are passed up in, the quest, but
good, physical health is a requisite
that is never overlooked. Except
by DR.. Gertrude Pitkanen.
Montana Lily, therefore, had a
narrow escape. Had this vigorous,
an not come into her life, the infant
today probably would be weakly roll
ing its head from side to side in the
crib of some orphan asylum, slowly
moaning its life away instead of
hanging by her little toes from the
rings and gurgling with delight as
each day brings forth something to
further develop the muscles of the
little body and instill added vigor
into her whole physical system.
DR.. Pitkanen adopted the little
waif, realizing that children, much
sooner than grown persons, either re-
cover or get worse.
Doctor Takes a Chance
"The chances are that by proper
diet and physical are this baby girl
a be as healthy as any other" rea-
soned the doctor, and started out to
prove her theory. And the result is
so remarkable that even DR.. Pitkanen
herself asks, IT'S the child a wonder,
is 1t the training which she has re-
ceived?"
Montana Lily, as the doctor named
the infant, is now almost eight
months old, and is without doubt a
most unusual child for her age. She
is 21h inches tall, weighs FL pounds,
two inches less than her height, 1917
Not so bad for an invalid
baby! A solid little person, her skin
does not feel like baby flesh at all.
It's as tough and hard as a board.
Although just learning to walk,
she can perform gymnastic stunts
the average child or 2 or 8
years wouldn't even dream of at
tempting.
Acrobatic Stunts
Can you imagine a child of eight
swinging by her feet from a
cross-bar and actually enjoying the
experience? And this is only one of
her many accomplishments, as this
young lady car also stand on her
;oes, climb a ladder, and having
reached the top of it stand there by
l~erself; and swing by her hands. At
present she is learning to jump from
he top of the above mentioned lad
Ter into a hammock, also to swim.
Watching her go through her va
daily exercises is a sensation in
tself. She is tossed, thrown, lifted
10 by her hands, her head, and her