An organisation who have handed out tens of thousands of teddy bears to children facing emergency care treatment made a special visit to the University Hospital of North Tees today.
Freemasons from the Durham Province visited the paediatric emergency care department and the children’s ward.
As they do every year, representatives from the group left a bag filled with TLC bears. These are given to young patients to help alleviate distress.
The group also left staff a box of chocolates, vouchers for free coffees and lapel pin badges.
It was also a chance for Mark Davies and Duncan Maw from the freemasons to recognise hospital play specialist Dawn Taylor before she retires in the coming weeks. They thanked Dawn for all of her help organising the teddy bear donation every year.
Duncan Maw, who manages the initiative, said: “To mark NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day, we wanted to do something to say ‘thank you’ to our NHS staff, while also remembering those NHS staff we have sadly lost.
“As we do every year, we also wanted to visit emergency care to donate more TLC teddy bears. They have proven so successful in taking children’s minds off things when they are being cared for.
“It was also our chance to thank Dawn for the fantastic help she has been in helping the organisation organise the donation of these teddy bears every year.”
Debbie Hall, nurse matron in emergency care, said: “Every year the freemasons visit to donate these teddies. They are so important in helping reduce any anxiety children may feel when coming to the department.
“This special visit this year was so appreciated by everyone in the service. Particularly after what has been a very challenging last year. Thank you.”
