St. Francis Reflections

Kindness Project

We were so glad to receive such an uplifting letter. After having to delay their teddy bear clinics due to the pandemic, St. Francis Reflections Life Stage Care was finally able to host their teddy bear clinic for families in their community! Their teddy bear clinic was a massive success with children receiving a cuddly teddy bear to thoroughly explore the clinic with. Teddy bears received all the care patients could expect ranging from bandages, IV hookups, eye exams, dental exams, x-rays, immunizations, and even COVID tests! Children and their teddy bears also got to go inside an ambulance, to reassure them that it will be ok should there ever be an emergency. They can have their teddy bear with them! We look forward to helping them host more teddy bear clinics so everyone can join the fun and see that medical procedures don't have to be so scary!

Letter from St. Francis Reflections:

In 2021 we received a very generous gift of 100 bears from Bear Givers to share at our Teddy Bear Clinic. Due to COVID we had to move the dates of the event a couple times, but I am happy to share we were able to host it earlier this month for the families in our community. Our goal for the Teddy Bear Clinic was for families to have fun while helping to ease children’s medical fears and concerns. I am happy to share it was a huge success! The children LOVED the teddy bears and named them during their visit.

When the children checked in they received their bear with a wrist band on its arm, just like patients receive when they go to the hospital. They went to a waiting room where they filled out paperwork, which was just the photo release form for the parents to sign. Then they were off to take their patient for a trip around Child weighing bearthe clinic. They learned about first aid, and made their own kit to take home after they bandaged the boo boo on their bear patient. They learned about eye exams, dental exams, IVs including seeing vials that had “blood” or sparkles (of course no needles at this clinic), prescriptions and the importance of them being distributed by adults, and what their bear looks like in an x-ray. The little doctors were assisted in giving exams of the bear that included checking their height and weighing them. The bears had to have their immunizations just like kids do. Next they were able to test Mr. Potato Head for COVID with a real testing machine. I am happy to share the results were all negative.

When it was time to leave the clinic they each received their certificate with their name and the name of their bear, and a photo of them with their bear and family. Outside the door was the Titusville Fire Department with a final safety lesson about car seats and bicycle helmets, along with an ambulance where they could place their teddy bear on the stretcher. We wanted to make sure the first time children saw the inside of an ambulance was not a scary event. They loved it!

Multiple times throughout the day we heard children say “this is the best day ever”. Parents repeatedly remarked how much they appreciated the education and fun the children had. These bears in their Bear Giver shirts will remain a reminder that they don’t have to fear going the doctor or hospital for treatment. They can take their little buddies along with them.

News spread about the fun and education of the event and others are asking when we will have another one in a different area of our 72 mile long county. We are working to find another location for the next one. We would love to be able to share Bear Giver bears with those children as well, if you would be willing to continue to partner with us for this very special program. Thank you for making sure a huge difference in the lives of children in our community!