NEW YEAR’S EVE REUNION

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28783, 2 January 1959, Page 2

NEW YEAR’S EVE REUNION

Child Home After Heart Operation

The recent New Year and Christmas Eve will remain two outstanding occasions in the memory of eight-year-old Elisabeth Maunder, of Rangiora. New Year’s eve marked a very happy re-union of Elisabeth with her father, Mr W. J. T. Maunder, and three of her sisters, after having a hole repaired in her heart in a delicate operation at the Green Lane Hospital, Auckland. Elisabeth was accompanied on her homeward journey on the Viscount by her mother and baby sister. Elisabeth was discharged from hospital on the day before Christmas and was able to have Christmas eve with her mother, who remained in Auckland from the time Elisabeth was admitted into the hospital on November 26. Since leaving the hospital, Elisabeth had been counting the days till she could go home again, said Mrs Maunder on Wednesday evening, shortly after her return home, when Elisabeth was obviously pleased to be back in the familiar surroundings of her home with her sisters. Mementoes

The operation will end for Elisabeth eight years of being almost a semi-invalid for her activities have had to be severely curtailed. As mementoes of her stay in hospital and the change effected by the operation, Elisabeth has an engraved wristlet watch and a bracelet A friend mentioned Elisabeth to Mr IL J. Kelliher, a prominent Auckland businessman, said Mrs Maunder. He was immediately interested and presented Elisabeth with the watch. An Auckland jeweller, who had been told of Elisabeth while visiting his sister In the hospital, gave her a gold bracelet She had also been given some gorgeous books. People in Auckland had been extremely friendly and helpful.

Before the operation, said Mrs Maunder, Elisabeth had a large hole between the auricles, the receiving Chambers of the heart, and to compensate for this her heart beat was twice as fast as normal. Already the beat was down to normal and even now Elisabeth appeared to be gaining in weight Normal Life Possible

Previously Elisabeth had suffered from shortness of breath and had been underweight, said Mrs Maunder, and there were many normal activities she could not enter into but now she could look forward to a normal, active life. Last winter she had missed a lot ot schooling through having almost a perpetual cold because of her lower resistance and since Labour week-end had not been to schooL She was looking forward to going into standard one next term.

Since her discharge from hospital on Christmas eve, until she returned home, Mrs Maunder said, Elisabeth had been able to enjoy playing in the sea water on the beach every day. Elisabeth would have another medical check in a fortnight’s time for a final clearance.