Render First-Aid With Help from Mary Frances

The very first 'Mary Frances'
was a paper doll drawn by
Jane Allen Boyer.

       It is important to mention here that any one of your child's dolls may be called a "Mary Frances" doll. Her Mary Frances could have dark skin, blue eyes or even red hair. She could be a rag doll, a fashion doll or a 18inch classic child doll. In the world of play, the physical attributes of a heroine are not nearly as important as the content of her character. Mary Frances dolls should have a devoted heart, and a kind and sacrificial spirit above all else. 

       Mary Frances Helpem, lives in a child's nursery, working as an assistant to a Red Cross nursing doll called Miss Bossem. Together they help treat all kinds of doll injuries that appear to be quite similar to those found among humans in the outside world and indeed, the methods used to treat the injured and sick originate from real-life manuals used by red cross emergency aid workers in 1916.

       Below is a quote taken from the creator of the very first Mary Frances doll about her stories:

      

      "This book is more than a story to inspire children with a desire to relieve suffering; it is a simplified and handy reference book, telling what to do in cases of accident or illness. In no sense is it intended to take the place of the physician. The first principle of first-aid cannot too often be repeated when in doubt, send for the doctor.
       Especial thanks are due to E. A. Y. Schellenger, M.D., member Surgical Staff, Cooper Hospital, Camden, N. J., for his great assistance in verifying and revising the medical and first-aid instructions given herein; and to Constance Cooper Crichton, Instructor of First Aid Classes, New Jersey Women's Division National Preparedness, whose helpful criticism and suggestions have been invaluable." by Jane Eayre Fryer

Click here to download and print the 
hospital staff, police and patients for 
the book. These have been restored
by kathy grimm for young students.

Chapters:

1. Off To Mexico
2. The Speeders' Accident
3. First Aid To The Injured
4. At The Doll's Hospital
5. The Real Cross Nurses
6. Lessons In First Aid
7. Safety First
8. Practice Games
9. The Hikers
10. On Looking Glass Lake
11. Two Boys Are Late
12. Plans
13. A Sane Fourth of July
14. Shesa, A Red Cross Nurse
15. A Telegram From Mexico
16. Private Brave's Adventures
17. The Mad Dog
18. The Poisoned Baby
19. Hurrah For Our Hero

Online Research for Our Mary Frances Doll Character:

• The American Red Cross and The American Red Cross Nurse
• Clara Barton: The Beginnings of the American Red Cross
• American Red Cross History
• How the American Red Cross Works - History & Facts 
• Civil War Medicine: The Civil War in Four Minutes
• A Guide To American Red Cross Uniforms by Shirley Powers (pdf)
• Medical Treatment in World War I - The Great War Special
• History of the Red Cross and the Geneva Convention
• The red cross, red crescent and red crystal. What do they mean? In one word: protection.
• Principles in action: How do neutrality and independence contribute to humanitarian effectiveness?
• A day in the life of a nursing assistant/Healthcare Support Worker
• World Health Organization
• 8 Foods That Give You Energy!

Doll Hospitals:

• Doll Hospital Sydney Museum
• Additional hospital artifacts for 18'' dolls  at Dollsville Hospital

Historic Costume for Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Modern Nurse/Doctors:

• 18" Historic Doll Clothes: Army Doughnut Girl Outfits 
• U.K. Red Cross Nurse Uniform 
• WWI Nurses Uniform