A 12-year-old girl has come up with an ingenious little toy to ease the anxieties of young hospital patients just like her.
Ella Casano was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura when she was just 7 years old.
The disease means that Ella’s blood doesn’t clot normally and she generally has a very low amount of blood platelets. Despite how the disease generally goes away over time, Ella has never healed from the condition.
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So in order to replace the amount of platelets in her bloodstream, Ella receives a special treatment that is delivered through an IV drip every 8 weeks.
Unfortunately, Ella was always intimidated by the atmosphere of her Connecticut hospital – and she often felt anxious going in to get the IV treatment.
That’s why she invented the Medi Teddy: a sweet stuffed teddy bear toy that can hide the front of a child’s IV bag. That way, instead of seeing a plastic hospital bag filled with mysterious liquids and medications, a young patient can look at a smiling toy friend.
“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,” says Ella. “As I saw more and more children experiencing the same feelings, I became more interested in creating a friendlier experience for young IV patients, so I created Medi Teddy.”
Since Ella and her family created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the Medi Teddy’s manufacturing, they have surged past their goal and raised almost $20,000.
The family is now trying to launch a nonprofit around the Medi Teddy so they can give away the toys away for free.
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