The Hunger Winter

By Willy Dirks, Thornloe, Ontario, Canada
Date mid 1980’s
Excerpt from her book she wrote of her life.

During the hunger winter, on February 8, 1944, our little Luke (Lucy) made her entrance into the cold world. She took a long time in coming.
Anne and Liz (Elsje) were thrilled about their new sister. Liz’s first words, while petting the little baby, were: "That has no hair!", and indeed Lucy was bald like an eagle.
She was such a cute baby in her pink and white cradle, however the poor little tyke could not get enough food. She became the most pitiful little baby, always crying, always hungry and her little arms and legs looked like purple sausages from the cold. She had big blue eyes, that always showed fear and her hair did not
One time Elsje was ill and we had to call the doctor. Our doctor was not home so a strange doctor came. Lucy was crying in the playpen. She was 8 months old and did not even make an attempt to sit up. The doctor looked after Elsje, and then looked into the playpen. One look and this total strange doctor said: "I have kept one bottle of cod liver oil for an emergency. This is an emergency!"