HALDIMAND—Children stuck in a frightening or traumatizing situation can expect to receive a little comfort in the form of a teddy bear.
Hauser’s Healthcare has recently donated 2,000 more stuffed bears to Haldimand County’s Paramedic Services team.
Dressed as paramedics as well, the toys are meant to be given to upset children on the scene when paramedics arrive to handle a health emergency.
The small gesture can help restore a sense of safety to emotional children in these moments, helping keep them calm while emergency responders do their good work.
The initiative first began in 2021, when Hauser’s Healthcare donated an initial allotment of 500 bears to the County.
Hauser’s owner Phil Hauser said that the idea behind the bears was to take the pharmacy’s concept of providing helpful, personal care to patients and expand it forward in new, different ways that provide support across the community.
He recalled, “At the time we were also supplying a lot of (Paramedic Services’) immediate-need drugs and some of the stuff they use on the ambulance and whatnot…. They had previously a decade ago had a little bit of a program where they gave out something to kids who found themselves in a situation where there’s something traumatic or bad happening, which is usually the case when an ambulance arrives.”
Hauser saw an opportunity to revive this needed and welcome community service, and it has since blossomed into a long-term service providing hundreds of children that small moment of relief so vitally needed.
At a recent photo opportunity, Hauser spoke to some of those first responders who have had the responsibility of placing the bears into the hands of local children.
“The guys in the trucks spoke about just how important these bears on the truck have been in situations where they needed to help calm a child down, going from tears of anxiety to a little bit of happiness,” shared Hauser. “It kind of helps to bring them back to their world, their bubble, rather than living in whatever kind of emergency moment that is.”
He continued, “For the paramedics it could very much mean the difference between having a screaming child in the background as care is trying to be delivered, which creates a stressful situation for everyone involved, and being able to calm things down.”
With hundreds of bears dispensed, this latest donation ensures that there will be bears at the ready whenever needed for a long time to come.
“If we can help even a fraction of those kids in a time of need it’s well worth it, for sure,” said Hauser.
“One of the easiest groups of patients to get behind is a child. Children are very innocent, and in bad situations, there’s a want and a desire to help them and make sure that they are okay. For us, knowing we’re supporting our (Emergency Medical Services), helping families … it became a win-win-win scenario,” he added.
He thanked Haldimand’s first responders for allowing Hauser’s to participate in this small way, with the program showcasing that Paramedic Services “is connected to their community and recognizing it’s not just about showing up and doing the job. They truly care about the individuals they’re helping.”
He called the initiative just one example of “hundreds if not thousands of ways that show how Hauser’s approaches healthcare. We want to make our community better, so … we’re always looking for more opportunities where we can improve health outcomes.”
Hauser concluded, “Sometimes it’s as simple as a teddy bear, sometimes it’s as complicated as a midnight service sitting with somebody in the midst of a very complicated or dire diagnosis; we’re there for our community.”
