Children attending for treatment at the Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Hospital are to be presented with teddy bears, the Western Health Trust has announced.
The cuddly toys are being provided by Teddies for Loving Care (TLC), a charity supported by the Masonic Order within the Island of Ireland which donates packaged teddy bears to hospital emergency departments in Ireland both North and South.
Children attending the Western Trust’s Emergency Departments at the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen and the Urgent Care Treatment Centre at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh are also to receive teddy bears.
Teddies for Loving Care have given the teddy bears to the hospitals for staff to give to children or patients at their discretion.
David Penpraze from Teddies for Loving Care said giving a teddy bear to anyone who was distressed while in hospital would enable medical staff to carry on with their vital work and help children and families have a more comforting experience.
Mr Penpraze added: “The teddies will be used in various ways, for the child or patient to cuddle as a reward for being brave and for staff to demonstrate what they are going to do. The teddies also act as a distraction and can provide reassurance for the child which helps, parents, guardians and siblings.”
Diane McCaffrey, Unscheduled Care Manager for the Western Trust and who covers both hospital Emergency Care Departments said: “We would like to thank Teddies for Loving Care for their generosity. The teddy bears will really make an impact here and it is lovely to see the boys and girls eyes light up when they know they are getting a teddy bear to cuddle and keep. Cuddly toys relax children which makes it easier for us to care and treat them when they come into our hospitals.”
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