Evening star., 1950-04-13
Mike Rector Home After II Months in Hospital


faces battle that may prove as
difficult as his II months in the
hospital.
Mike was discharged from cas-
ualty Hospital at 1:45 pm. yes
terday-exactly II months to the
hour when he was rushed there
with burns over 10 per cent Of his
body.
A doctor gave Mike a very small
chance to live on that day
in 1948. But now Mike is home
with his three brothers and two
sisters.
The hardest task right now for
his father, Everett Rector. a
mechanic, is to keep him from
being too active. Mike wants to
run and play in front of his row.
house home at 613 Elliott street
NE.
This is where Mixes next fight
comes in.
He won't be able to run and
play and fight quite as hard as
other boys. Parts Of his skin
CRAFTS are still tender. If he falls
and cuts himself. his skin won't
heal very quickly. Grated skin is
like that, and Mike has had total
of 1000 square inches of it placed
on his body from his chest to his
hips.
More Grating Necessary.
The grating isn't over by any
means. He'll need four or five
more in the next two years. He
already has had 30-flve of them
from his own body.
Mike is used to gratis, though.
But what he isn't used to-and
what will make his coming fight
dificult-is that a hospital has
been his home for nearly a year
and half. He was not quite four
when he entered. Now he's five.
He was home at Christmas, and he
went to a movie three weeks ago.
But he has to catch up a good
deal. His father and his doctor
emphasized this.
Part of his future treatment will
be aimed at teaching him to walk
erectly. The tight gratis on his
stomach cause him to hunch a
little.
Take yesterday. His doctor and
his parents had him stand with
his back to a wall periodically to|
prevent the hunching.
But Mike took it with the cour-
age that kept him alive. His eyes
were bright. He ran through the
hospital corridors as his father
and his mother. Mrs. Frances Rec
tor, packed up his belongings.
The television set and big red
wagon-presents while he was
confined to bed-already were
home and waiting.
Practically the whole hospital
turned out for the good-by. There
was DR.. Joseph R. Young, chief
surgeon whose skill helped Mike
live. There was Miss Angela
Winters, superintendent of nurses.
who met him in the hospital
emergency room when he was first
brought in.
Gets Parting Cone.
And there was also the secre-
tary of the Hospital Board, Harry
F.. Almond. Mr.. Almond. retired
secretary of the Board of Com
missioners, had taken a special
interest in Mike. He had given
him as many ice cream cones as
doctors would permit. His fare
well present was chocolate cone,
as requested by Mike.
With all these and many more
hugging him good-by, Mike went
home. AS soon as he got here, he
chased two brothers. Billy, 6, and
Eddie, 8, up and down the side
walk. But he was getting tired.
He WINGED and cried a bit when
his 12-year-old sister Rosalie
tried to lift him into his wagon
for the benefit of photographers.
"It will be tough keeping him
from being too active" said Mr..
Rector. Hes got more spunk
than any kid I've seen, and he
won't like it,"
Mike wants to be home. But
he likes the hospital. too.
"I like it here. ! like home.
too," Mike said to DR.. Young and
Mr.. Rector.
You're really a politician" DR..
Young replied.
Mixes young friends have been
other burned boys. He has left
them behind and must make new
friends. AS he was about to leave.
another young patient was taken
into the emergency room.
That boy has a broken Leg"
DIR. Young explained.
"You mean he's burned?" Mike
asked.
mo, he has a broken leg" the
doctor repeated.
"Oh," said Mike. He finished
his ice cream, waved good-by and
left for his second fight.