WILSON HOME AT TAKAPUNA

Southland Times, Issue 23287, 25 August 1937, Page 4

WILSON HOME AT TAKAPUNA

FIRST COMPLEMENT OF PATIENTS ALTERATIONS NEARLY FINISHED (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, August 24. Twenty-five crippled, but happy and excited children left the Auckland hospital in ambulances and motor-cars this morning for the Wilson Heme at Takapuna. By lunch time - the home had its first complement kof little patients comfortably settled \in four large airy rooms looking out over terraced lawns to the Rangitoto Channel. All the children are victims of infantile paralysis and have been Under treatment for months in the Auckland hospital. Their ages range from five \to about 16 years, and they come from places as far apart as Gisborne and. Kaitaia. Ten are girls and 15 boys. Except two of the latter all made the journey as cot cases and the only thing that marred the day’s adventure was that those who travelled by ambulance could not see the view. Their small belongings were brought across in pillow cases and a visitor in the afternoon found several of them whiling away the time with books and jig-saw puzzles. The little girls nearly all had dolls or teddy bears for company. The ravages of the disease were all too plain in the stiffly bandaged arms, while a number of the children lay high in the bed on wooden frames. Still every face was cheerful, even that of a seven-year-old boy who is deaf and dumb. The second big event of the day c^ c when a large steamer passed. The fortunate ones near the windows soon spread the news and after a chorus of requests most of the beds were wheeled forward so that their occupants could see the ship. ' The plumbers and paper hangers are still at work in some parts of the house, but it is expected that everything will be in order by about the end of next week. Remarkably little alteration has been needed and the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board (the Rev. W. C. Wood), who visited the home today, said the building could hardly have been more suitable if it had. been designed for the purpose. The arm of the board and the staff was to maxe it as home-like as possible and to avoid the institutional atmosphere. The staff, consisting of Sister 1. K. Faulconbridge and two nurses, six hospital aids and several domestics, has been in occupation since Friday. The visiting massage staff of six will begin work tomorrow.