Girl with rare disease invents teddy bears that hide IV bags
Going to the hospital can be overwhelming for anyone. Between all of the machines, needless and being in an unfamiliar environment, it can be a scary experience-especially for a child.
Ella Casano, a 12-year-old Connecticut girl who regularly receives an IV for a rare autoimmune disorder, recognized the stress that can come in this environment for a kid. So she decided to create something that would make it less intimidating.
Ella invented the Medi Teddy, a pouch on the back of a teddy bear that holds either IV bags or bottles.
The 12-year-old girl hopes that her invention will help make hospital visits more bearable for children who need to seek medical attention frequently.
Casano suffers from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura according to the website, which is not curable but sometimes disappears naturally.
Casano posted on her website “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. 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,”
“I hope that Medi Teddy helps you just as much as it helps me”
Ella Casano
Ella has patented the stuffed
animal and already has prototypes for it, but she needs a minimum of 500 units
before the first order can go out.
To help raise money for the venture, her family started a GoFundMe campaign.
The Medi Teddy will be manufactured by the New England Toy Company, according to her GoFundMe page, and likely faces several months of IRS deliberations before her 501(c)3 application is approved.
