The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-09

f that is the case, 1t probably will b. performed late today.
 Fears for Daughter
 Dr. Hershman said he feared fol his daughters reason unless the babys fate is decided soon.
 Her nerves are shattered" he said "and she keeps crying for her baby '. She told us she would take her eye' and give them to Helaine but o1 course that is impossible. If the operation is decided upon surgeons will remove the left eye and place the optic nerve under a microscop to determine if the dis. ease has moved along the nerve tc the right eye. If 1t has not, the right eye may be preserved. Dr. Hershman believed that chances of recovery were slight, even with an operation.
 Hoffman said the specialists might decide to submit the baby to treat ment with superyoltage X-ray, a process which has been used with some success in certain types of re- tinal glioma.
 Another Mother Speaks
 Cleveland, May 9.--(UP) Mrs. Maurice Wohl, who has blind baby, said she would telephone either par ents of Helaine Judith Colan in Chicago today and urge them to let their baby die, rather than submit her to an operation which would leave her blind but possibly prolong her life.
 Mrs. Wohl's son is now two years old When he was six months old he suffered retinal glioma. the af- fiction of the Colan baby. Mrs Wohl had to decide then whether to let medical science do what 1t could remove one of the baby's eyes and treat the other with X-rays-or whether to let nature take its course Without the operation. sufferers from the disease usually die in d few months.
 Mrs. Wohl wanted her son so in- tensely that she permitted the oper- alton. She thinks now 1t was wrong
 We found that my child was blind in his left eye" she said. "The doctor removed 1t immediately. His right eye also was affected. They i treated 1t with X-rays. But that failed and now he Is entirely blind
 q would not advise an X-ray treatment. I would not suggest an eye removal. Rather let the child die than to suffer extreme pain and sightlessness."
 Let Nature Take Course Quincy, Mass, May 9.-(UP)-A Quincy couple who in 1925 "let nature take its course" when their son wac stricken with glioma today had Inc regrets" but refused to counsel the parents of five-weeks old Helaine Colan of Chicago.
 Walter E. Coady related how son Walter Jr., was doomed to death when 18 months old unless they granted permission for removal oi his eyes, both affected as are He. laine's.
 The doctors left us with the same difficult decision now facing the Chicago couple" Coady said. Per haps we were worse off as the child was one of twin brothers. The other died three days after birth. Tn Hands of God
 Finally, we decided to leave everything in the hands of God. We took Walter out of the hospital and home, where he played about like any normal child. For four months Walter rompcd about and in Janu. ary 1926 he lost the sight of hii right eye completely. He was in bec five days. and then was up and play ing.
 Late in May, his other eye be. came affected and he was put tt bed. He remained there until August when he died"
 The Coady's granted permission to remove ono eye. but baked wher 1t became a question of removing both eyes.
 Believe me, I can understand how that Chicago couple feels, Coady said. Reports have It tha' they VIII lCJ IlhtuIc tsAhC ANo SNuA"S That's what we did, and we had nf regrets whatever. But to advise them? I'm afraid that's impossible Everything Is in Gods hands, and hope He is kind to them." Helen Keller Advises New York, May 9-U.Po Heller Keller, who accepted blindness ane deafness as challenge to success and conquered both, believes tha' MT. and Mrs. Herman Colan should give their baby every fighting chance" even If 1t means a life o total blindness for Helaine.
 q would suggest x-ray treatmen be tried" she telegraphed the par ents. T understand 1t has been sue ccssful. The operation Is mandator. If 1t brings Helainc health.
 Blindness is not the greatest evil It is only a physical handicap whicf Helaine's mind can overcome. Tha is hfc. Her fathers heart is the bes guide in this tragic. delicate prob lem. My tcndcrcst sympathy an; | H-l L.