http://66.225.205.104/JR20091023.mp3
For more than fifty years beginning in 1921, children from all over North Carolina came to Gastonia for free surgery at one of the nation's leading orthopedic hospitals for children. This weekend, patients, doctors and nurses who spent time at the North Carolina Orthopedic Hospital will gather for a reunion hosted by the Gaston County Museum. The young patients often stayed for long periods. They were cared for by a rotating cast of doctors who came to learn the latest techniques in treating birth defects and deformities. The hospital closed in 1979, but the memories are fresh for Nellie Frances Beaty. Nellie Beaty lives in Gastonia, just a few miles from the North Carolina Orthopedic Hospital. It's been closed since 1979, but she still thinks of it as her second home. WFAE's Julie Rose prepared this postcard. An exhibit about the hospital is on display at the Gaston County Museum. Reunion activities for patients and doctors will be held Friday and Saturday.