CRIPPLED CHILDREN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22519, 13 March 1935, Page 6

CRIPPLED CHILDREN

LORD NUFFIELD'S GIFT CREATION OF NATIONAL FUND CO-OPERATION WITH DUDLEY TRUST (Special to Daily Times) r WELLINGTON, March 12. Hopes that a national fund for crippled children might receive a sum approximating £IOO,OOO from the Dudley estate of Auckland were expressed by Mr C. J. B. Norwood this morning. "I am aware that Lord Nuffield's very generous gift on behalf of the crippled children of the Dominion has created a wide and emotional interest throughout the Dominion, and has forcibly turned the mind of the people upon this very important and necessitous section of our community. Not unnaturally, we are anxious to have more particulars upon the nature of the organisation proposed to be set up and the methods to be adopted by which the funds available will be most effectively used to provide the maximum result to the proportionately large number of unfortunate children spread throughout the Dominion," Mr Norwood said. " Lord Nuffield's expressed wish is that the organisation shall be truly national, that every afflicted child in the Dominion, in whatever remote place, shall have the same opportunity of benefiting as those more fortunately situated in the centres where humanitarian organisations are. now giving them the benefit'of the measure of help provided through Government institutions.

" I have discussed the matter of the best means of control with Dr Bernard Myers, who has been travelling through the Dominion for the British Medical Association, and who has promised to send me on his arrival at Suva a written statement of what the experience in England and other countries has proved to be best," continued Mr Norwood. " I have also discussed the matter with the business men and orthopaedic practitioners available in Auckland, and I would like to pay a tribute to the splendid spirit shown by the Auckland people. _ ..,,,, " One leading citizen of Auckland who died about two years ago, Mr H. S. Dudley, had left the whole of his estate, amounting approximately to f. 100,000, subject to certain life interests, for the establishment of a home for crippled children in Auckland," Mr Norwood said. "It is, of course, hoped that there will be no conflict between the two schemes, and no doubt some arrangement for friendly co-operation can be reached. "I personally, in company with Lord Nuffield and Dr Myers, viewed the splendid home of Mr and Mrs W. R. Wilson, containing about 13 acres and facing east. It will require very little alteration, and is combined with,the availability of a private sandy seabeach, which, I understand, is almost essential in the up-to-date treatment of certain complaints from which these crippled children suffer. Both Lord Nuffield and Dr Myers were deeply grateful for the sacrifice made by Mr and Mrs Wilson, and expressed the view that it was highly unlikely that there were many parts of New Zealand where so suitable a home could be founded." ' • Continuing, Mr Norwood said he had been interviewed by a considerable num> ber of business men whose measure of help had not been decided, but which he had reason to believe would be substantial. " I .am not jealous for. my own home city, feeling that Wellington people have not home 3 suitable to. give," Mr Norwood said, "but the sentiment and the spirit will be just as strong for the poor unfortunate cripples. "I have been amazed to learn from Dr Gillies, of Wellington, and.Dr Kerch S. Macky, of Auckland, orthopaedic surgeons, of the enormous strides made by science in the direction of being able to cure so large a proportion of these cases if taken in time. Lord Nuffield confirmed this from the fact that some 250 children every year are turned out from the hospital provided by him in England able to face the world under normal conditions.

"I hope sincerely that the people of New Zealand will make it possible that the best means known to science is made available to our poor unfortunately crippled children who, through no fault of their own, must become a serious burden on the' community." MALFORMED MOUTHS - DR PICKERILL'S SUGGESTION. (Peb United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 12. Confirmation of the report that hii services would be at the disposal of the pi oposed organisation for crippled children was given to-day by Dr H. P. Pickerill, Wellington plastic surgeon. He emphasised, however, that in giving his services he would be doing no more than was done by any medical man attached in an honorary capacity to a public hospital. Dr Pickerill has in recent years made a special study of the problem of cleft palates in babies. He sees in the fund now established the opportunity to extend the service to crippled children to include not only those with malformed limbs, but also those with malformed mouths, an equally serious, if not in some cases greater, handicap.