A concerned child watches as a nurse treats a teddy bear with a broken leg at Homestead Hospital’s Family Health and Wellness Fair.
“What do you do for a broken leg?” the child asks. The nurse explains that she needed to prepare a stint, and goes on to treat the bear as she would if a child came into the Speediatrics Unit with the same injury.
Why would a medically trained professional be treating a stuffed animal?
The event is called the Teddy Bear Clinic. It gives children an opportunity to watch nurses and doctors in action to help ease any fear for the child when he or she goes to the doctor for a checkup or medical treatment.
“The Speedy Bear Clinic gives children the opportunity to interact with nurses so they’ll feel more comfortable when they have to get a checkup of their own,” said Jennifer Pages from Homestead Hospital. “It shows them that doctors and nurses are not scary, they only want to help.”
The NASCAR Foundation has been dedicated to helping children live happier healthier lives since 2006. The Speediatrics Unit provides medical treatments for 50,000 children each year at two permanent Speediatrics facilities at Halifax Health Medical Center and Homestead Hospital.
