The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-05-01
NEEDED SERVICE
 IS BEING KEPT UP
 BY HEALTH DEPT.
Maintains Aid Of Crippled Children But Sorely
 Handicapped


 Health has for some years, main tained Crippled Children's Roster cn which there are to date 531 names. These represent the chil- dren who have been reported since services to Crippled Children be- gan, through the Department, about 10 or 12 years ago.
 Since July l, 1943, 148 of the 531 children have been registered As we continue to put on an intense case finding program, we hope to lo. cate many more. We have every reason to believe that there is a relatively large number of children who are crippled but not on our list.
 Some of the cases have been cared for with complete or partial recovery by private physicians CT by the Off, flee of Indian Affairs. Others have been helped through funds made available by the Children's Bureau in Washington and by appropria- tions from the Territorial Legisla- ture.
 A few of them have received no care because their parents have re- fused or because their deformities have been so advanced before they were reported to us that their cases were hopeless.
 Another great tragedy lies in the fact that some of the children have not and cannot receive care because of lack cf funds.
 The definition of a Crippled Child under which we work, is very in- elusive. A crippled child is defined as any child under the age of 21 years who is suffering from: l. Diseases CT deformities of the muscless, bones or joints, congenital or acquired who might be considered crtEopedic cases (acute fractures and the acute state of poliomyelitis are not includadD.
 2. Certain conditions of the eyes, congenital CT acquired, which call for surgical correction.
 3. Deformities, congenital or ac- quired, which require plastic sur gerry for correction.
 At the present time we have on cur waiting list, 30 more children who should be sent to Seattle. For instance, here are five examples of tEe children who could be helped
 A child with tuberculosis of the hip; one with tuberculosis of the spine; another with tuberculosis of the right little finger a fourth with cleft palate, and fifth with contraction of the hand due to burns
 Others are just as deserving but we don't have space to list them. Many people ask why these chil- dren do not get orthopedic care in Alaska. To establish a hospital to care for Alaska's children who have crippling conditions would mean, not only to procure building and a doctor but it would mean procuring several highly specialized physicians, nursing staff and at tendants trained on orthopedic and plastic work, staff or physiotherap- ists and physiotherapy equipment, a brace and orthopedic shoe maker, special convalescent and foster home care.
 pr. Haggland in Fairbanks is the only orthopedic surgeon in the Terri tory. Because of the press of his general practice and formerly be- cause of lack of orthopedic hospital ization facilities, his services are necessarily limited.
 f Cur immediate need is money to be used for matching with Federal funds tc adequately take care of the needs of the children on our waiting list. In addition to the funds ap- propriated by the Legislature and those now received from the Presi- dential Ball Fund, and the Alaska Tuberculosis Association, we could use up to about S40,000 to match a fund of equal amount which now Ilies dormant in Washington, D. c. Any organization or person who can contribute even small amounts, will please note that their money will be doubled because of this big log in the Federal Treasury.
 It is notsa stationary accumulation Iof money that we want; it is a flow ing fund of where with-all, which we can use to cure or arrest crip- bling conditions which make chil- dren handicapped for life.