Little Girl With Rare Disorder Creates 'Medi Teddy' to Comfort Pediatric Patients
Ella Casano, a 12-year-old with a rare immune disorder, created a clever way to cover up her IV bag.
While receiving her first infusion, the sight of an IV bag on a pole was scary. So Ella designed what she calls a "Medi Teddy" which conceals the medication and lets the patient see a soft toy bear instead.
"When I had my first infusion, I was surprised and a little bit intimidated by the look of the amount of tubing and medical equipment on my IV pole," Ella explained. "As I saw more and more children experiencing the same feelings, I became more interested in creating a friendlier experience for young IV patients."
The mesh pouch on the back of the bear allows the IV bag to slip right in. Medical staff can still monitor the medication and know when the IV bag is empty.
Ella started a GoFundMe page with the hope of donating Medi Teddys to other kids like her. Her charitable mission has captured hearts online and it's growing.
"In an effort to expand our mission, we are now giving individuals, hospitals, corporations, charities, and foundations the opportunity to purchase Medi Teddys so that you, too, can personally give Medi Teddys to children of your choosing. Your purchase will do good and allow us to continue to fund our Medi Teddy charity," according to Medi-Teddy.org.
Ella hopes that Medi-Teddy will continue to reduce the fear of receiving medicine for kids everywhere.
Follow the progress of Medi Teddy on Instagram.
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