A 12-year-old girl has come up with an ingenious little toy to ease the anxieties of young hospital patients just like her.
Ella Casano was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura when she was just 7 years old.
Ella receives a special treatment that is delivered through an IV drip every 8 weeks and was always felt anxious going in to get the IV treatment.
That’s why she invented the Medi Teddy: a sweet stuffed teddy bear toy that can hide the front of a child’s IV bag. That way, instead of seeing a plastic hospital bag filled with mysterious liquids and medications, a young patient can look at a smiling toy friend.
Ella and her family created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the Medi Teddy’s manufacturing, they have surged past their goal and raised over $20,000.
The family is now trying to launch a nonprofit around the Medi Teddy so they can give away the toys away for free.