Name/TitleEquipment: Leg Splints
About this objectTwo wooden leg splints worn by South Australian man Don Ingram from approximately 18 months of age. The inside of the splint has leather padding to protect the leg. Each splint is fastened by four elasticised cotton canvas straps with leather tips, and metal buckles attached to the splint with metal nails. The pointed end of the wood went inside the shoe. A stocking was placed over the leg and splint. This stocking had a stirrup attachment which went under the foot to assist keeping the splint in place.
Don recalls: 'I don't actually remember anything about my wearing of them but I received a few snippets about them from my mother. This was before the Crippled Children's Association was formed and we visited the "Women's and Children's / Mothers and Babies?" Hospital in Adelaide. She expressed distress at being among children with severe cases of Spina Bifida, CP [Cerebal Palsy] and the likes. It seems mine was a fairly mild case. I suspect it might have been a mild case of Spina Bifida but I cannot be sure about that as I've not been tested. There has been a life-time of constant mild and general discomfort in the form of back-aches and a pigeon-toed gait, but this never inhibited an involvement in physical activities such as sport; although I've never liked standing for too long or walking and hiking'. Don also recalls his mother telling him 'I used to show off something awful with them'.
The splints are accompanied by three photographs:
1) His mother holding him while wearing the splints;
2) Don wearing his splints in front of the family's Fiat, accompanied by his brother, mother, and sister;
3) Don with his father as a young man after the splints were removed.
Don wore the splints for the first couple of years that he was walking.
In the 1970's Don went on to assist Ken Parish, a former journalist for the Adelaide Advertiser, with design work for two publications 'The Regency Park Centre for Physically Handicapped Children' and 'Suppose No One Cared!'. Don has kindly donated a copy of these publications to the Heritage Office with the splints and photographs.
Date MadeCa 1945
Medium and MaterialsWood, leather, cotton, elastic, metal
MeasurementsEach splint: H17.5 x W27 x D2 cm
Object TypeEquipment
Object numberAR#10648
