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Show AMERICAN LESION (Copy for This Department Supplied by the A nipr ic;i n l,a: inn News Service. ) CRIPPLED TOT IS AIDED BY LEGION At the Shrine hospital for crippled children in Chicago they say that life still holds a chance of happiness for Leedy Curl, thanks to the efforts of the "Forty and Eight" of the American Ameri-can Legion, aided by the Mystic Shrine. The "Forty and Fight" employed the - 1 resources of its national organization to lift the crushing burden of misfortune misfor-tune which fate had heaped on the little girl, and the Shrine opened its hospital to her. I,eody was sent to Chicago recently from her home in Palatka, Fla., after the "Forty and Eight" had taken up her case. She is the first crippled child to obtain hospital treatment through the Legion, although orphans of many former service men have been cared for in the Legion children's billets. I.eedy now is eleven years old. Her misfortunes began when she was a baby. An accident injured her so she could not walk. Not long after the accident her fa ther took the crippled child in his arms and kissed her good-by. He went Leedy Curl. to France to fight in a war Leedy was too young to know anything about. But she was not too young to pay part of that war's, terrific cost. Her father was killed. A few months ago the final misfortune misfor-tune overtook the child. Her mother, who had struggled along bravely since the dread notification came from the War department, wearied of the fight and found rest in the arms of death. The little girl was left alone but not friendless. The American Legion post of Palatka gave her every care within Its power. But hospital treatment was needed, and the "Forty acd Eight" came forward. Through James Edward White, then chef de gare of Voiture 220 in Chicago Chica-go and a member of the Legion's na-.'" na-.'" tional child welfare committee, permission per-mission was obtained to have the child 1 admitted to the Shrine hospital for treatment. Leedy was rushed north accompanied by Mrs. Dorothy Bartholomew, Barthol-omew, treasurer of the American Legion Le-gion auxiliary, department of Florida. Her train was met in Chicago by a large delegation of Legionnaires and Shriners, who escorted her to the hospital. hos-pital. Physicians said that long treatment would be necessary for Leedy. |