TLC Appeal

Teddies for Loving Care

Registered Charity No 1087765

Raising Funds for the supply of Cuddly

Toys to A&E units for

Children in Severe Distress

©2006 -2010

TLC Appeal

TLC Appeal

Registered Office

54 Medway Crescent

Leigh on Sea

Essex

 SS9 2UY

 

Mid Cheshire Hospitals

NHS Trust  

                    

Dear

 

I just thought t would write with another tale of success that I recently had with one the wonderful TLC bears. Although tragic, this tale did offer little glimmer of hope given to one child and his parents all because of a friendly bear.

A few months ago with had a terrible shift where we lost a young 5-year-old boy. Although he had been poorly since birth due to his prematurity his sudden death was a great shock to his family and some of the staff who had cared for him in other emergency situations. The family were all around in the resuscitation room when the medical decision had to be made that there really wasn't anything else we could do and therefore let him drift off in the arms of his mother with both father and his twin sibling by there sides. Whilst the resuscitation attempts were being carried out one of the children's nurses put a TLC bear next to him and talking to the child, this has been proven to reduce both anxiety to the patients, their families and staff.

To cut a long story short, after the formalities that had to occur after an unexpected death it was time for the family to leave at which point his sibling brother became distraught, thus increasing the anxiety for his parents who were finding the situation hard enough. The same children's nurse took the brother back into the resuscitation room so he could kiss his brother goodbye (even at five years of age they can have closure) he picked up the bear and said that the bear would look after him now that mummy was upset and if he got scared he was to cuddle the bear. The nurse then thought to give the brother a bear too so he could take one home with him so when ever he wanted to say goodbye again to his brother he could say it to the bear as both bears were brother and would talk to each other and never be alone.

You can imagine how touched the parents were even by this tiny glimmer of hope to see their son starting to cope with the tragedy of loosing his sibling, The staff who were involved with this case also found some comfort as when they initially saw the brother so upset found it difficult to hide there grief and emotions but also had some positive closure to the event.

I would be most grateful if you could share this story with anyone who is involved with the TLC appeal and remind them it's not just a teddy bear it's so much more,