100 years at Childrens Hospital: No ill child turned away

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100 years at Childrens Hospital: No ill child turned away

Legacy of caring started by mother

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/332368_childrens20.html

When Worley learned her daughter, , had juvenile arthritis, she

never worried the disease would threaten the young girl's life.

, now nearing her 18th birthday, was diagnosed when she was 2 years

old. Thanks in large part to Seattle Children's Hospital, she took medicine

regularly. She occasionally goes to the hospital for cortisone shots when

her joints swell, but the Woodinville High School student has been able to

carry on as a normal, active teenager.

In 1898, the hospital's matriarch, Herr Clise, lost her son to the same

disease.

" It was something that affected her deeply, as it does any parent, " said

Senseney, Clise's great-granddaughter. " She lost control and she lost

her child. "

Clise, from Seattle's high society, soon assembled 23 of her closest women

friends and by 1907 they had established Seattle Orthopedic Hospital --

later named Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

The hospital in Laurelhurst is now one of the leading children's hospitals

in the world, treating 71,000 patients a year, including Worley, and

providing $42 million in uncompensated care last year. In August, U.S. News

& World Report ranked it No. 9 out of 122 pediatric hospitals.

A hundred years ago, colds and chickenpox were grave realities. If children

became seriously sick at that time, they had almost no hope of surviving,

said Washington state historian Walt Crowley.

" The concept of a specialized medical institution for children was a very

new idea back then, " said Crowley, who co-wrote a book about the hospital.

He said the handful of children's hospitals in other U.S. cities segregated

children of color and turned poor families away. The Seattle women led by

Clise had different plans for the hospital they started on Queen Anne Hill.

" From day one, they admitted all kinds of children, regardless of race,

religion or ability to pay, " Crowley said. " That was a very radical thing. "

Advances in science, technology and public health have played a large role

in improving children's care. Methods of treating Clise's son's disease have

changed dramatically.

" Years and years ago when kids had juvenile arthritis, they didn't really do

anything, " Worley said. " They'd be laying in bed and now doctors want

them to have active, normal lives ... the inactivity, that's bad for your

joints. "

Dr. Neff, director of the Center for Children with Special Needs, said

the hospital grew because of the women's dedication.

A 1929 Seattle P-I editorial praised the women's " indefatigable efforts, "

saying they represented " the boundless and unlimited quality of the human

heart. "

The hospital's growth heavily depended on Seattle's support.

The city's dedication to Children's was frequently featured in P-I articles:

a skating rink benefit in February 1928, magicians entertaining youngsters

in December 1949, a holiday gift parade in November 1960. The penny drive --

an annual event for 80 years -- raised more than $47,000 in 1947.

Senseney, former chairwoman of the hospital's board, said the money-raising

campaigns are still as " thrifty " as they were 100 years ago. Projects, which

raised $10.4 million last year, include golf tournaments, telethons,

auctions and campaigns to knit baby blankets.

Along with millions in uncompensated care, the hospital spent another $3.5

million on community programs and more than $17 million on education and

research in 2006.

" It's a legacy. We're always looking to improve, " Senseney said. " That is

something started from day one. "