Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-09-06
WOMAN DOCTOR
SAVED LIFE OF
SICK BUTTE BABY
PROVED CHILDREN THRIVE ON
CARE AND REWARD THOSE
WHO ADOPT THEM

mic mite Of humanity, undernourished
and neglected. too unhealthy Tor the
average person to think about adopt
ing, fought death In Butte
Seven months later she was probably
the strongest child Of not quite a year
to be found anywhere within the
United States and already on her way
to fame through moving pictures.
That IN brief is the story Of what
adoption, care and kindness can do for
children. The child. who was left at
the Butte Maternity home and who
would not be taken by any one else
because she was such a "sickly looking
little thing" was a wonderful example
OF the methods of child raising put
into effect by woman doctor who
adopted her.
Once the child almost had another
home. The day after she was left at
the maternity home to be given to
any one who would take her and well
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-
NAMED an orphan until the doctor
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.
DON'T Want Sick Babies
It 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 and hair,
religion of parents, size, or even good
looks, are passed up in the quest, but
good physical health is requisite that
is never overlooked, except by the
woman doctor
The child called the Montana Lily,
therefore, had a narrow escape. Had
this vigorous, understanding, strong-
hearted woman not come into her lie,
the infant probably would have died
The doctor adopted the little waif,
realizing that children, much sooner
than grown persons, either recover or
get worse.
'The chances are that by proper diet
and physical care this baby girl can
he as healthy as any other" reasoned
the doctor. and started out to prove
her theory. And the result is so re-
rnarkable that even the doctor asked,
seTs the child a wonder, or is 1t the
training which she has received?
AcrObatic Stunts
Can you imagine a child OF eight
months who could swing by her Ieet
from cross-bar and actually enjoy
the experience? And this was only one
of her many accomplishments, as Cnls
young lady could stand on her toes,
climb a ladder and having reached
the top of it stand there by herse1;
and swing by her hands She soon
learned to jump from the top OF the
above mentioned ladder into a ham
mock, also to swim.
watching her go through her va
rious daily exercises was said 70 De
a sensation in itself. She was tossed,
thrown. lifted UP by her hands, her
head. and her feet, made to turn reg
ular somersaults, yet always came up
smiling.
The astounding thing about the per
Torrance of these feats was that
the child actually loved to do them.
To her they were nothing more or
less than play, and when 1t came time
for the doctor to come home, the little
tot crawled to the door, raised hersen
I'D and stood clinging to the screen,
waiting for her foster mother and her
fun. She seemed to have no fear as
far as distance or height were con-
cerned.
The reason must undoubtedly be the
training she had received for the doc
tor was a careful and painstaking
teacher. The baby's first lesson was
In deep breathing, and right from the
start the doctor was confronted with
difficulty, as the child could scarcely
breathe through her nose on account
of her poor condition. This overcome,
the doctor started TO give Montana
Lily treatment that would have hor-
rified most mothers, and would have
brought indignant queries as to wheth-
er the doctor were in her right mind,
and If so why didn't she realize that
the baby was not a rag doll.
The child had ladder which stood
about five feet high and which was
made especially for her with the rmgs
closer together than on the average
one. Unaided she would start at the
bottom and climb to the top, planting
each little foot as firmly as a grown
person would, and not climbing with
her knees as all babies do. In other
words, Montana Lily had been treated
rough, and as a result was perhaps the
healthiest baby alive.
Don't think that because the child
was an acrobat, she lived an unnatural
life. She lived a regular schedule
for each and every day just like any
other baby. She got up at 8, took a
nap from 10 TO 1890 in the morning
and from to In the afternoon, had
three meals and was put to bed at z.
Because Of the condition Of her diges-
tive organs due to improper diet pre-
vious to her adoption, Montana Lily
could not eat food that was ordinarily
given to children Of her age.
Compared with any baby of her age
she was prodigy; compared with any
child OF a year old she was sim
marvel. Surely Montana Lily is food
for thought, for what training has
done for one child win 1t not d1afor