Entertainment Report
12-year-old girl with rare disease invents teddy bear that hides IV bags for children
Being in a hospital can be especially scary for children, so, one young girl who is battling a rare disease herself invented a special teddy bear to hide the IV bag to make the experience more comfortable for other kids.
Ella Casano, 12, was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura or, “ITP,” when she was 7 years old.
The condition destroys the platelets in her blood, and according to her website, every eight weeks, she spends a day at an outpatient clinic getting an infusion of IVIG, a medicine that helps increase the number of platelets in her body.
“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’s website stated.
Medi Teddy is a stuffed animal pouch that covers and conceals an IV bag. According to Ella’s website, the back of the pouch is mesh, allowing for a doctor or nurse to see through and check on the fluid or medication a child is receiving.
“From the front, the child sees a friendly face and not the bag of medication, blood product or IV fluid being infused,” Ella’s website states.
Ella and her family have patented Medi Teddy and found a manufacturing company for her product, but the minimum order to get started is 500 units.
The family announced on a GoFundMe page that they have received enough donations for Ella to place her first order of 500 Medi Teddys, which will be distributed at no cost to children in need.
By: NBC Palm Springs
June 13, 2019
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