PAT; 'HR, ALASKA
- •> - Dorothy VL Bell, 'Editor
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Published every Friday at Palmer, Alaska for the ^etanus&a Valley Farmers'?
Cooperating Association for the, purpose of giving news of t% Associations VTork,
Problems, and Accomplishments. ’
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ALASKAN crippled children* S ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED in TERRITORY
The establishment of an Alaskan Crippled Children's Association to sponsor the Ter
ritorial Crippled Children's Program, established'in 1937, has been announced by tho
Territorial Department of Health. A Territorial Crippled Children's Association was
proposed in a resolution passed by the Alaska ^oard- of Health at its first mooting
in September. Among the objectives of such a volunteer association would be the
raising of funds to help provide for the noods of Ain ska children suffering from
crippling or deforming conditions', and educational materials on the subject of preven
tion of crippling, dofoming and handicapping'conditions, to bo placed in each con>
munity in the Territory. Plans for the care of orthopedic sasos within tho Territory,
including hospitalization, convalescent homes, and probably several rehabilitation
centers could* be initiated,
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Representatives from several interested-organizations in.Anchorage have formed a
committed under the chairmanship of.Mrs. Marshall Hoppin, to. organ'i'zo a Crippled- ■
Children's Association. .It is expected that other, towns'will wish to organize local
vripplod Children's Associations.t’o interpret the'Territorial program and to assist
in the raising of monies, in their communities.
CARE OF CRIPPLED CHILDREN
In Alaska, crippled children's services are administered through the official agency,
as in the states, w th the aid of Federal funds. The Division of Matprnal and Child
Health and Crippled Children's Services of the Territorial Department of Health is re
sponsible for the immediate.supervision of the Program, including the maintenance of
four*orthopedic surgeons on the staffs of these hospitals for care of Alaskan Children
and pays for the transportation and hospital expenses of all Alasknn' children cared for
at these hospitals. Same few cases are able to finance their own care. A full-time
medical social worker is also maintained in the Orthopedic hospitalsi Her responsi
bility includes the meeting of crippled children arriving in Seattle, arranging for
their transportation home, placement in supervised convalescent homes in Seattle; and
correspondence with the families of the children, and with the Health Department, re
lating to the chirdren's progress, and plans for their return home. Partly because
of the transportation factor, the care and treatment of handicapped Alaskan children
is very great. The cost is estimated at $2000 per year per child. Long terms,
specialized c are fbr many orthopedic conditions makds the cost of adequate coro be
yond the means of the average family. On an average, forty Alaska children are hos
pitalized at orthopedic hospitals in Seattle annually under the Alaska Crippled
Children’s Program and there is a waiting list of seventy-six children at the present
time.
MORE PUNDS ARE NEEDED
Lack of funds is one problem in tonnoction with the care of all children who weuld
benefit from specialized care, although the Torritirial’Legislature appropriato.3
.15,000 for the care of crippled children each biennium.. There is now available the
jum of $40,000 in matching funds from the federal government which cannot be used
because the Territory is unable to match this money. Monies raised through Cripplod
Children’s Associations in the Territory and any other donations, can be matched dollaf
for dollar when channeled through the official agenefy. During the fiscal ydar 1944-45,
the snm of $54,773.71 was spent for hospitalization, administration, payments to
physicians and transportation. The cost of maintaining Alaska cripplod childron in .
the orthopedic hospitals in Seattle is over $3200 per month, ,
CRIPPLED CHILDREN DEFINED "
It is interesting to note that about 60 percent of the crippling conditions in Alaska
childron are duo to tuberculosis. • ■ ... <
A crippled child is- defined as n child under 21 years of Age- and suffering from a
condition which has beep diagnosed by a physical* as orthopedic. Orthopedic conditions
include tuberculosis of the bones and v jo ipt's1, as osteomyelitis and arthritis with
deformity ■’ 1. < CONTINErED ON PAGE 7