Last month, Steve Butwell, Chairman of TLC Surrey, and Nick Dyer, Deputy Chairman, visited the Royal Surrey County Hospital with a huge donation of colourful bears for their young patients.
Talei Yabia, the Senior Sister for Paediatric Emergency Department, couldn’t have been happier. “These beautiful teddies make a huge difference when young children come into our department feeling nervous and unwell. It can be very scary visiting a hospital ED, so it’s great for us to be able to hand over a soft comforting teddy and say, ‘You’ve been so brave, look we’ve got a lovely surprise for you!’” she shared.
Steve, who has been bringing these bears to Royal Surrey every two weeks for the past three years, explained the impact it has. “The TLC teddies are really popular with children and helpful for staff who can use them to distract distressed young patients. They can also demonstrate a simple procedure using the teddies.”
The delight on the faces of the young patients when they received their cuddly new friends was truly heart-warming. These teddies do more than just bring comfort; they help ease the anxiety and fear that often comes with a hospital visit.
While at the hospital a parent approached Steve with a story of her son’s own experience. She told him that her son received a TLC teddy when visiting the ED after suffering burns. Having the teddy by his side was a great comfort and distraction from everything that was going on. She also said that even months after his accident, her son still talks to his bear about his burns to help him heal emotionally too.
