Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has announced that Logix Federal Credit Union is continuing to sponsor the hospital’s Foundation Palliative Care Teddy Bear program. 

Started as a teddy bear gifting program in 2018, Henry Mayo’s Palliative Care Teddy Bear Program has provided comfort to many parents and children in times of crisis, officials said. 

When a patient is terminally ill, the teddy bear can record and save the patient’s heartbeat for their loved ones as a keepsake and comfort item. 

“The response we get from the families that receive a bear has been very positive. When a loved one enters the final stages of life, we are able to record the heartbeat of the patient, place the recording in the bear and present the bear as a gift to the child or family member,” said Dr. Balbir Brar, Medical Director of Palliative Care at Henry Mayo.

One such story about the profound impacts the bears have had was between a mother and son. The mother was on life support, in her final stages of life, and unresponsive. 

Her son, an only child, was tasked with the immense responsibility of making medical and health care decisions for his mother. 

The son requested to postpone putting his mother on comfort care until after his graduation which was very soon. The staff, unsure of how the son would respond, provided information on the bear and asked for permission to prepare one for him.

Upon returning to his mother’s room, he went straight to the bear, hugged it and cried. The teddy bear was said to have comforted the young man during a very difficult time in his life. The staff was very happy to have been able to provide a precious gift for him, according to officials.

While nothing can replace a loved one, the bears have helped many patients and their loved ones in the face of tragedy, hospital officials said. 

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