This post is actually a day late. I couldn't get my act together in time to pull it off -- too much searching and scanning to get it done yesterday morning.
May 17th was my oldest brother's 63rd birthday.
Mom and Dad were married August 2nd, 1947, and nine and a half months later, along came their first bouncing baby boy.
I knew that somewhere in Mom and Dad's papers there was some documentation to this effect. So I went back through the box, marked "important historical papers", and sure enough I found the following items.
You will note the first receipt is from the Parry Sound General Hospital for the sum of $41.00. I have to assume this was for the room and stay in the hospital. The second receipt is from Doctor Applebee, who I know was the attending physician for the birth. Mom never spoke favourably of this particular doctor, and I gather it was a difficult birth, with a doctor lacking in bedside manner. $25.00 would appear to be his fee for services rendered. So by my calculations, it cost $66.00 to have a baby in the hospital 63 years ago. I would love to see what the bill would run today, for the same venture. Probably best I don't know.
And that is all I have to say for today.
Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.
I remember when my son was born some 40 years ago. The hospital was funded by DuPont and the bill was $250.00 for doctor (did not have to worry about mal-practice then), and the room was $25.00 a day. When my daughter was born two years later, it had gone up to $33.00. I do not think the hospital is still subsidized by the DuPont Fund/Family, and I am sure the rooms are thousands a day now.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff, but I'm not sure you should post the birth certificate of John in this age of identity theft. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Note it has been removed. Naive old me never even thought about it.
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