Started in 2001, Teddies for Loving Care (TLC), is now in its 16th year, and to date, has distributed over 1 million teddy bears to children's A&E departments across the UK.
Not only do the teddy bears comfort and appease the children, they really do make the nursing staff's job somewhat easier in appraising and befriending the often distraught kiddies. Not every child receives a teddy, but those that do, get to keep it and take it home.
Following a request from The Paediatric Day-care Surgical Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital APGM Graham Dearing, visited the unit on 10th February and was delighted to deliver 120 teddies for their use.
Graham was accompanied by W. Bro Mel Shah, the TLC programme coordinator for Bucks' Masons, and Mel's wife Nilam. The unit joins several others throughout Buckinghamshire which are in receipt of many teddies every month, all of which help calm the children that receive them and assist the nurses who give them out to gain the confidence of the little ones.
On hand to receive the delivery were; Gemma Heath, Paediatric lead for theatres, Ayesha Khan, Healthcare assistant, Kym Natneast, Anaesthetic service improvement nurse and Dr Marc Davison, lead paediatric anaesthetic. Gemma had seen the effect the bears have on the children attending A&E, and had put in a request for bears for her department.
Graham said: "This is a project that we in the Freemasons are justifiably proud of. It has been going for many years and the funds for it are provided solely by our members. When we were approached by the Paediatric Day-Care Unit we had no hesitation in supplying the Teddies. It is also just one of the varied ways in which Buckinghamshire Freemasons' core values of Friendship, Integrity and Charity are used to benefit all parts of our community."
Picture shows: L to R
Mel Shah Secretary, Bucks Masonic TLC, Kym Natneast, Service improvement for anaesthetics, Gemma Heath, Paediatric lead for theatres, Graham Dearing, Ayesha Khan, Healthcare assistant, Dr Marc Davison, Lead Paediatric anaesthetic, Nilam Shah, Mel's wife