Comfort found in cuddly toy hug
A child clings to a stuffed purple mouse during a late-night visit to Holy Family Hospital’s emergency room. Down the hall, a cancer patient in his 80s who never owned a teddy bear smiles through tear-filled eyes as a hospital volunteer places a soft bear in his arms.
These cuddly toys are provided by Betty’s Teddies and Bernadine’s Buddies, programs facilitated by Bernadine Howell, a longtime volunteer at the COPS Northeast police substation.
Howell is quick to credit former volunteer Betty Bennett. “It was Betty’s idea,” Howell said. “And after she moved to Kansas, I just kept it up.”
But this volunteer does more than “just keep it up.” Each week, Howell sorts, washes and bags dozens of stuffed animals.
The idea behind the programs is that in times of crisis or uncertainty, everyone – especially children – needs something to hold onto.
“There are a lot of outlets for the stuffed animals,” Howell said.
The Bernadine’s Buddies toys frequently end up in the back of police cars. Officers can pick up a stuffed animal if they are on their way to a call involving children. A drawer at COPS Northeast on North Market Street is filled with smaller toys – perfect to hand out to visiting children.
Stuffed bears and bunnies also can be found riding in American Medical Response ambulances. “We give them to the paramedics,” Howell said.
For a sick or injured child, a ride in an ambulance can be terrifying. Emergency medical technicians appreciate having plush toys on hand to console children during their journey.
But a lot of the stuffed animals end up at Holy Family Hospital. “I take about three tall garbage bags full a week to the hospital,” Howell said.
Shirley Alexander says she is delighted to have them. She distributes the toys brought in by Howell.
“I take them mainly to the ER,” Alexander said. “The IV therapy people always tell me how much it helps comfort the kids.”
You don’t have to be a child to appreciate the comfort of a teddy bear. Alexander also takes the stuffed animals to the Cancer Center each week.
“The adult patients there love the bears,” she said. “They use them as armrests during treatment or as something positive to focus on.”
Alexander laughed as she recalled standing in the ER, clutching a stuffed animal. “A doctor came striding by, whisked the toy from my arms and said, ‘I need that.’ “
When praised for her diligence in cleaning, sorting and distributing the toys, Howell shrugged and said, “The community is just fantastic. They donate all the time. We couldn’t do it without them.”
North Side resident Pat Hickey recently brought in 30 teddy bears and was delighted to discover her donation will be put to good use.
“A lot of people have stuffed animals around and don’t know what to do with them,” she said.
COPS Northeast is continually in need of new or gently used plush toys. According to Howell, “A soft, fluffy-type toy is suitable for trauma – something comforting.”
While the self-effacing volunteer is reluctant to accept recognition, Alexander eagerly sings Howell’s praises.
“I’ve been working with her for seven years,” Alexander said of Howell. “If I could put angel’s wings on her, I would.”
Voices correspondent Cindy Hval can be reached at