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WEEKLY NEWS 1: Teddy Bear Clinic

Doctors always try to make their patients feel better--even if their patients are teddy bears and dolls! Doctors diagnosed and treated all of ailing stuffed toys who were brought to the Portnuef Medical Center in Idaho last week during the Teddy Bear Clinic.

Have you ever wondered how your parents feel when they take you to the doctor? Are they scared, nervous, or worried? The Teddy Bear Clinic offered a new perspective. Children discovered how it feels to bring someone to the doctor and what it's like to answer the doctor’s questions and consider treatment. The Medical Center hopes that children will be less afraid of the hospital after the ‘parental’ experience.

This year the Teddy Bear Clinic treated 770 patients as the children explained what happened to their toy and why it needed medical help. Children also suggested X-rays, surgery, and casts to fix their dolls and teddy bears. Some toys were also given shots to immunize them from the flu or mumps. Not only did children learn not to be frightened at the hospital, they also learned how to wash their hands properly so the toys and the children will stay free from illness.

--Written by Katheryn Troyer

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