Does your child have anxieties about medical environments you would like them to overcome?
Smoky River Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) will be hosting a Teddy Bear Triage to use a role-play activity to help children understand and overcome fears about medical environments.
“We will be holding the Teddy Bear Triage at the McLennan Ambulance Station,” says community programmer Tianna Todd.
“It will be held on July 20, starting at 1:30 p.m.”
The event is open to all ages of children and will teach children a variety of things including vitals and checkups of the stuffed animal’s temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, weight and pain level. They will also do a diagnosis of the teddy bear, allowing the young patients to explain what happened to their stuffed animal.
“Kids will be able to meet local EMS, tour an ambulance, and discover the equipment used to help people in emergencies,” explains Todd.
“Kids can bring a favourite stuffed animal for fun hands-on activities, teddy bear check-ups, and bandaging practice while learning about community helpers in a safe and engaging way.”
There is no charge for the event and Todd says it is a great opportunity for children to learn some new information.
“This is a great chance for children to learn that the environment is not scary,” says Todd.
“These clinics are popular around the world to normalize healthcare procedures for kids.”
To learn more about the Teddy Bear Clinic, please phone the FCSS office at (780) 837-2220.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter