Evening star., 1948-05-20
Letters to The Star
Responsibility for Palsied Children

Responsibility for Palsied Children
To the Editor of The Star:
The day has come for all those truly inter-
ested in the cerebral palsied child to descend
from their ivory towers Of aloofness. The
cause of crippled children will not have
suffered in vain If all those who have
responsibility to these helpless little ones will
face reality and build strong, new program
of rehabilitation upon the ruins of the old
discredited one
Let the board Of directors of the local Society
for Crippled Children acknowledge that the
crippled child is their prime consideration by
following through the recommendations Of
the national society to completely reorganize
the District group so that it will no longer be
subject to public criticism. Let the new Or
ganization, revolving around the handicapped
child and his problem, develop strong in
elusive program that will invite the co-opera-
ton OF the medical profession and allied
health agencies in the city. May harmonious
unity be felt upon ones very entrance into
the physical premises. Let there be encour-
agement of co-ordinated effort and exchange
of information among the qualified profess
sional staff. May the parents feel they have
justihable interest and right to help formu-
late and carry out the program designed to
aid their children Let only those parents and
other outstanding members of the community
who are willing to assume the responsibility
Of the Office make up the roster of the board
Of directors.
Medical Part of the Problem.
The responsibility to the cerebral palsied
does not end with the directors of the District
society. 1t behooves those of the medical
profession who have knowledge of this dread
aff1iction to disseminate information about
it to others in the field of medicine and to
bring more than an aWareneSs OF its existence
to medical schools and teaching hospitals. 1t
is appalling to realize that the average prac-
titioner and pediatrician knows practically
nothing of cerebral palsy, that only recently
has text book been written concerning it and
that the very terms defining it have only been
in existence short while. Doctors should be
on the alert to recognize cerebral palsy, so
that children SO afflicted may be directed as
soon as possible to the proper sources OF
treatment The day must go that finds worried
parents of an abnormal baby being advised
to put the helpless little one in an institution
to be forgotten
Upon the parents of crippled children and
the public at large falls grave responsibility
to this unfortunate group. If for no other
be keenly aware of this disease. 1t may
strike anywhere. Seven out of every 10000
children born are afflicted with it. This ratio
remains the same no matter where the loca-
zion, the strata of society or the degree of
prenatal care. The first child may develop
it or the last child of large family. 1t has
been known to strike as many as three times
in the same home. 1t need not be genetic, for
in some instances it appears in perfectly
normal children and adults. 1t may come
as result of preventable birth injury, R-H
blood factor complications, cerebral hemor-
rhage or from as yet undiscovered reasons
It's effects can be more devastating than those
of any of the other dread diseases. 1t can
leave a child so completely helpless that he
is incapable of supporting his head or direct
ing any of his movements. The gift Of speech
and proper hearing may also be denied him,
yet through all this tragedy may shine the
bright light of intelligence and understanding
in his eyes. What hope is there for him?
That is where the finger OF. responsibility
points directly at us.
Research to Be Done.
The, relatively speaking, small amount of
research done in this almost unexplored field
shows that great deal of rehabilitation can
be done for these helpless children, but it takes
money-much more money tnan the average
family has. , 1t needs highly trained medical
men in neurology, orthopedics, Obstetrics
pediatrics and other allied specialities. Physio
speech and occupational therapists together
with psychiatric workers are needed to CO.
operate with the medical teams. Then there
are the expensive, material items such as
braces and special equipment which further
complicate the problem. To top it all off,
special educational facilities are necessary to
complete the picture Of rehabilitation. What
progress has been made to meet this chal-
longing situation? Again relatively speaking
practically nothing. handful of outstanding
doctors are conducting research and treat
ment, pitably small number of crippled
children societies are attempting to serve the
needs of the cerebral palsied. Not until the
term cerebral palsy" creates the same feeling
of panic as polio cancer or tuberculosis, until
we have the Mayo Clinics" and Rockefeller
Foundations" engaged in research on this
scourge and until we secure public appropria-
tions making possible mass operations in
diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation can
we relax our fight. Remember, my friends,
today 1t is my child who Is afflicted with
cerebral palsy but tomorrow 1t may be yours.
FLORA M. COAN.