Worcester Lions donated Benny the Bear, an anatomical teddy bear, to Community Children’s Nursing and Palliative Care Team. Sian Jackson (Community Play Specialist) received the bear at the Worcester Royal Hospital from Worcester Lion members Joy Haffner and Dennis Chamberlain.
Benny the Bear is not a normal teddy bear but one which allows staff to explain to children about human anatomy and to explain medical procedures. For instance, taking blood and giving drugs via the hidden IV line. Benny has a special bag for putting coloured water in to look like blood. Taking temperatures, giving injections, removing tonsils, passing a tube down the nose and many more medical matters can be illustrated.
Sian Jackson said ‘Benny will be a valuable tool in the specialist play kit for children. Not only will children receiving medical care be helped but also their siblings – sometimes siblings can be forgotten and can be scared about what may happen to their brother or sister, so I will be able to use Benny to demonstrate to them also’.
Of course, Lion Joy was interested and thought she was performing on operation on Benny the Bear as the picture shows