Myoelectric center at children's hospital

In the early 1970’s, Milt London, long active in Variety, The Children’s Charity, had a vision of creating a myoelectric limb bank in the Detroit area which would provide life-like artificial hand to children in need.

The idea of fitting young children with myoelectric hands was a new one, but had already been successfully demonstrated in Sweden and in Canada.  London followed with interest the developments in myoelectric prosthesis that were taking place at the Variety Club of Ontario in cooperation with the Ontario Rehabilitation Institute and the University of New Brunswick.  London was obsessed with the idea of being able to replace unsightly hooks and claws on children with normal-Iooking, life-like functioning artificial with a myoelectric prosthesis.  He contacted numerous hospitals and treatment centers in the Detroit area offering to fund a myoelectric center, but the idea of myoelectric was so new to the medical profession that no one was interested in establishing or developing the program.  Finally, in the late 1970's, London was contacted by Dr. Lawrence Morawa, a well-known orthopedic surgeon.

As director of the Pediatric Amputee Clinic at the Detroit Institute for Children, Morawa was aware of the development of myoelectric prosthesis and realized the tremendous benefit that it could be to many of his patients.  When London and Morawa joined forces, Morawa put together an exceptionally competent and dedicated professional team: Social Worker and Coordinator Eileen Mason-Wilhelm, Occupational Therapist Linda Stelzer, and prosthetists Carl Brenner and Bob Bacon.

The money raised by Milt London and Variety was used to train staff, purchase equipment and start the “limb bank" of many electric components.  Because myoelectric prosthesis are very expensive and not always covered by health insurance, a fund was established to provide myoelectric prosthesis for children whose families could not afford them.

News of the Variety Myoelectric Center spread rapidly through newspapers and television, and inquiries into the program were received from around the world.  Children from as far away as Hong Kong and France were fitted and trained at the Center.  By 1985, the Center garnered additional recognition when the team became the first to successfully fit a 12-month old with a myoelectric prosthesis.  She immediately adapted to her new “hand” and became the benchmark for this emerging medical specialty.

By the year 2000, the Center had fit hundreds of young children with myoelectric prosthesis so that they could lead more normal lives.  The Center continues to be in the forefront of this cutting edge technology and medical care.

Through the Myoelectric Center, Variety and its supporters have made a tremendous difference in the lives of these special children and their families.