672 3/4/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Sunday, March 04, 1951

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, This last Thursday and Saturday, or rather it was Wednesday and Friday, we had a terrific blizzard and lots and lots of snow. The city was snowed under and it was really the worst blizzard they have had here in ages. We just got dug out from the Wednesday blizzard and it came again Friday. Now the snow is piled so awfully high I don’t see how it will ever melt. Last night the temperature went down below zero but climbed to 19 above today. I was downtown Friday afternoon when the blizzard started and I had an awful time driving home. Cars were stalled all over. Wednesday I was over at Muriel Corl’s for lunch and the afternoon and finally got home after getting stuck about three times. If I had been about half an hour later I wouldn’t have made it home because by then the roads were so blocked up that none of the cars were getting through. Saturday Elmer put the chains on the car so I was able to go grocery shopping. Well the time has come to tell you the bad news about Davy and I’ve been so worried I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else. In the first place, when he was born, we noticed that his skin and eyes weren’t white and they didn’t notice anything at the hospital but we noticed it and as Davy got bigger he got more yellow and other people began commenting on it. Finally Elmer talked me into taking him to the doctor the 22nd of February. I remember because it was Washington’s Birthday. The doctor said he had yellow jaundice and last Tuesday night he went to the hospital. After he had had tests made on him for two days the doctor called me and said the yellow jaundice was caused from an obstruction in the liver and unless they could find the cause of it, it meant certain death before Davy reaches his 1st birthday. When Elmer came home from work that night, the night of the second blizzard, he called the doctor and told him to instruct the nurses down at the hospital that we would be down to get Davy in the morning. The doctor argued, of course, but that was it so Saturday morning Pierce got his car dug out from the snow first so he drove us down to the hospital. I went in the children’s ward and said I had come for Davy and the nurse asked if he could have his lunch first as they were all ready to give it to him so I said yes, since the roads were so bad I didn’t know how long it would take us to get home. Now his life is going to be in the hands of Mrs. Reed, the practitioner. I’m going to bring Davy over to her apartment Monday and talk to her and tell her the story. The few times I have called her, her work has been very effective and quick. I think Davy looks better just since I have brought him home and Elmer does too. The first thing I did when I got him home was take him off from the awful yellow formula he was getting. I had just decided before he went to the hospital to put him on plain milk but I didn’t have long to keep that up. Now these two days he has been home he has been drinking the regular cow’s milk and likes it fine. He is as good as can be and fat and nice and also alert and certainly doesn’t seem like a sick baby. When we brought him home we could tell he had forgotten the little things he did around us like talk to us and laugh all the time, because I suppose in the hospital they are left by themselves much of the time without any attention. Anyway, this evening he started to act more like his normal self and has been smiling and talking a little. One reason I know he is going to be alright is because I’m not a bit worried. Now I can go ahead with the C.S. help and know that everything will turn out alright. Mrs. Ellsworth is back in Minneapolis but is staying at the Curtis hotel with a friend of hers who had a couple housekeeping rooms there. Mrs. E. said Leila asked her to come back to the house but she plans to stay at the Curtis as long as this friend will have her. She wanted me to be sure and tell you. Morning I will end this now so Elmer can mail this. He’ll be leaving for work right away. Davy is still sleeping. He sleeps good all night long. I’ll write tonight and tell you about talking to Mrs. Reed. Love, Helen