Evening star., 1941-01-15
Mrs. Roosevelt Pays Visit
To Paralysis Clinic Here
Girl, 9, Broodeosts to Nation in White House
Program Opening Annual Drive

Surrounded by youngsters whose
shrunken limbs testify to the Grip
pling effects of infantile paralysis,
Mrs. Roosevelt today paid her an
nual visit to the ortopedic clinic at
Children's Hospital following
White House meeting yesterday to
map plans for enlisting the country's S
aid in the fight against infantile
paralysis.
Woman leaders gathered from 80
States yesterday watched a crippled
child broadcast to the Nation that
she is much better than I used to
be-" and heard doctors report prog
ress in the struggle to control the
disease that strikes hardest at little
children.
The child, 9-year-old Dolores
Francis of 1890 M street NV, who
joined Mrs. Roosevelt, Singer Grace
Moore and Mrs. Claude Wickard,
wife of the Secretary of Agricul-
ture, on the White House broad
cast, today lay on one of the Chill
dren's Hospital tables. where nurses
were busy massaging little limbs
and bodies when Mrs Roosevelt Wis
tied the clinic.
Need Funds for Operating.
The Presidents wife was told of
a 2-year-old child in the hospital
who had spent a month in the
Iron lung" and now lies encased
in a cast from her blond head to
her useless feet.
Mrs. Roosevelt bent to talk with
2-year-old Helen Torreyson. who is
learning to walk with the aid of
braces. When she is older. Helen
will be operated on, DR.. M. c. Cobey
explained to Mrs. Roosevelt.
That's the sort of thing we need
funds for" he said.
AS neWsreel men started taking
pictures, the little girl was left alone
with Mrs. Roosevelt. Frightened be-
cause her mother had left her side,
Helen started to cry. Mrs. Roose-
velt jiggled her purse and the little
girl looked interested at the sound.
Then a photographer asked Mrs.
Roosevelt to bend nearer the child.
Mrs. Roosevelt responded, smiling,
That might make her cry harder"
Chats With Boy.
Continuing her tour about the
clinic, Mrs. Roosevelt stopped to chat
with 10-year-old Tommy Adams, who
was resting in whirlpool tank. TAX
ing hydrotherapy for his right arm
where the crippling had centered.
Mrs. Roosevelt also watched a
nurse gently massaging the arm of
Anthony Metzel, 5, in larger thera-
peutic tank In the warm water
tanks children are given the same
treatment that other victims of in
fantile paralysis receive at the Warm
Springs (Ga) Foundation.
One of the tanks acquired by the
hospital a few months ago was
gift from a turkish bath concern
in Coney Island, N. Y.
Mrs. Roosevelt was greeted at the
clinic by Mrs. R. M. Kaufman,
president of the Board of Lady
Visitors, and Miss Matte M. Gibson,
superintendent of the hospital.
Brought to the White House by an
instructive visiting nurse. Dolores
spoke a piece for the radio and the
newsreels and afterwards slipped milk
and ate all the candy she wanted at
a tea for the grown ups in the state
dining room. .-..
Halls Foundation.
IT am glad there is a national
foundation to help crippled children"
Dolores said to the radio. II am much
better than I used to be. I swan
twice a day when I was in camp and
I won the Junior Red Cross cer-
tificate for swimming in deep water.
I can play baseball I am used to
wearing my brace. but the coctor
says sometimes now can go with
out it.
II have four brothers and baby
sister and am the only one who got
paralysis. I am in the fourth grade
in school, nevee missed any work
because was sick When I grow
up, am going to be perfectly well.
I am almost well now. I would like
to think that everybody who got
paralysis could be es well as am"
In the gathering of celebrities
from official Washington and else
where, including Thomas Mann, the
author, and his daughter Erika, lit
tie Dolores remained perfectly calm,
complaining only when the pin from
her miniature. corsage stuck into
her.
Mrs. Roosevelt, who introduced the
other guests on the radio program, |
pointed out that while the children |
Of this country are safe from man.
made disasters, infantile paralysis