Hospital children receive kind hug of teddies

Some children receiving treatment at local Emergency Departments will benefit from receiving their very own teddy bear, after a hug of bears was kindly donated to NHS Western Isles by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ross & Cromarty (PGLRC).

The bears, part of the Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) project supported by the PGLRC, will be offered to children who may be anxious, in pain or traumatised attending hospitals across the Western Isles, helping to make their hospital experience a little easier. 

Susan MacAulay, NHS Western Isles Emergency Department Manager/Emergency Nurse Practitioner, said “We are extremely grateful for this kind donation which will enable us to provide comfort to children attending the hospital. It is hoped that the teddy bears will help us to reduce the fear and stress of their experience, whilst also making it easier to build a bond between the children and staff."

Donnie M. MacDonald, member of PGLRC and representing the Western Isles, delivered the teddy bears on behalf of Raymond McKeddie, project coordinator.

Susan added, “Nursing staff will provide a teddy bear to a child who may be anxious, in pain or traumatised while attending, with the teddy bear also being gifted to the child to take home.”

This year the TLC scheme has reached the milestone of supplying four million teddies, supplied by PSMI International, to hospitals within the UK. Further information on the scheme can be found at teddiesforlovingcare.org.uk.