A City United in Care for Little Fraviola
After a tragic case draws universal sympathy, the Fannie Paddock hospital and attending physicians waive all costs for the paralyzed child’s care.
The management of the Fannie Paddock hospital has decided to make no charge for the care of little Fraviola while in that institution. The doctors in attendance on her will also contribute their services free. This will meet with the cordial approval of Tacoma people, for the little girl's case has aroused universal sympathy. The physicians have about given up hope that she will ever recover from the paralysis and state that she will be able to be moved from the hospital in about a week.
“This will meet with the cordial approval of Tacoma people, for the little girl's case has aroused universal sympathy.”
Fannie Paddock Hospital, which served Tacoma for decades, eventually became part of the MultiCare health system. This story highlights a moment of community-wide collective care—a precursor to modern debates over healthcare access, cost-sharing, and charity in Tacoma's medical landscape.
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