Prosthetic limbs. Children.

A series of studies of patients with intertitles relating to the provision of prosthetic limbs for children born without arms and legs. The first child (a mixed race boy of about 2 or 3) with foreshortened legs and blind in one eye has gas-powered arms and legs. Six months later he is shown with a slightly different prosthetic configuration and more developed dexterity. He demonstrates how to use a 'floating spoon'. The next patient has no upper limbs and foreshortened lower limbs. She is a bit older (5 or 6) and is shown playing a fishing game, then with a toy broom, using scissors and feeding herself with the floating spoon. She plays at washing up. An armless boy of 18 months is shown. He is shown from the front and the rear. He is shown with a 'walking aid' (a type of door bouncer). He is encouraged to use his feet. A prosthetic 'kit' - gas powered arms is demonstrated by a nurse. This is then shown used by the 18 month old toddler with no upper limbs; he cheerfully picks up bricks and places them in a bowl. An older boy with foreshortened arms uses a similar contraption. In fact even with his foreshortened arms he plays with a bucket and spade in a sand pit. With the benefit of a sign for Chailey Heritage Craft School and Hospital a number of toddlers are shown firstly without and then with prosthetic aids. A nursery with active, limb-deficient toddlers playing is seen. Outside, older children/teenagers walk around demonstrating their prosthetic legs. A young woman and then a young man walk around. Another boy demonstrates how he can quickly remove his socks and shoes - and then put them on again. Another woman demonstrates her walking abilities. A different young woman (Louise Medus-Mansell) is shown walking. One of the young women previously seen with prostheic limbs goes past in a wheel chair. The boy who demonstrated removing his socks and shoes rides a specially adapted 'Chopper' style bicycle. There are informal scenes of children in wheel chairs around the hospital gardens and playground. Then there is further footage of a boy demonstrating buttoning his shirt and tying laces without prosthetic aids; he has no hands or fingers. He also demonstrates skill in removing his shoes and socks and then putting them back on again. Another boy shows how he can tie knots with his feet, use a rope as a lasso and comb his hair with his feet. An older boy of 12 with foreshortened arms and legs shows his dexterity; the intertitle indicates that he is 'fully independent'. He reads a comic ('Lion'). He also draws with skill. The same boy plays a game of cricket with two other limb-deficient children.