Teddy's story...

"Bethesda is not a place merely for the dreaming of dreams, it is also a hive of industry. Healing and teaching go hand in hand. The children are educated on the premises by a qualified staff of teachers. Many handicrafts are taught and really beautiful work is done by some of the patient-students, for what they lack in mobility they more than make up for in concentration."

- Annual Report, 1920

The ‘Bethesda Home for Crippled and Incurable Children’ on Cheetham Hill was one of Leonard Shaw’s proudest achievements. As well as providing medical treatment to children from some of the direst of conditions it also encouraged them to overcome their disabilities.

Bethesda Home, George Street, 1904

There are many incredible stories that can be told about the work and children who passed through this service’s doors but one such boy from its early days stands out. 

Teddy

Teddy was admitted to the Bethesda Home in 1900, aged 2 and remained there until 1911. Born without any arms he was taught by the home how to use his toes to complete everyday tasks. As a boy he showed such artistic talent that arrangements were made for his training at the Manchester Municipal School of Art where he soon flourished. As well as being an extremely apt painter he also created a number of wood-carvings and executed several war memorials.

Teddy's drawing, c.1910s

One of his pictures was even admired and bought by the Queen of Norway. With the outbreak of the Second World War Teddy joined the staff of the Bethesda Home, which by this time had evacuated to the Refuge’s Seaside Home at Colwyn Bay. Here he kept the books, paid wages and sorted the rationing arrangements, as well as being an art instructor to some of the children.

Teddy passed away in 1945 after an operation and was remembered in the Refuge’s annual report of that year: 

Many friends will remember ‘Ted,’ who for some time was on the staff of the Bethesda Home. [We have] a sense of real loss, but also gratitude for having known him so long, and admiration for his cheerful and courageous overcoming of his physical handicaps.