Sick and injured stuffed bears help alleviate kids’ fears of going to the hospital and doctor.
More than 125 kindergarteners from the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy visited Cooper University Health Care on June 5, 2019, to take part in the annual Teddy Goes to Cooper Program. This program was developed to help alleviate young children’s fears of visiting the hospital or doctor and receiving common medical procedures.
“The hospital can be a scary place for anyone, especially young children,” said Michael H. Goodman, MD, MMM, FAAP, FAES, Chairman and Chief of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper. “By allowing children to participate in ‘exams and treatments’ for their teddy bear, they learn that the hospital or doctor’s office is a safe place to go for help and stay healthy.”
Each of the children received a stuffed teddy bear in need of medical care. The children rotated through five different stations where Cooper clinicians and medical students taught them about diagnosing and treating the bear’s ailment using real tools and equipment, being healthy, staying safe, and preventing injuries.
The event is a joint effort among Cooper University Hospital Community Outreach, Emergency Medical Services of Cooper, and The Cooper Foundation.
