‘Patch with love’ Bear Launch

MEDIA RELEASE

26 September 2005

‘Patch with love’ Bear Launch (from Patch with love!)

The Surgical Research Trust in partnership with Pumpkin Patch Ltd is delighted to launch the ‘Patch with love’ Programme into Wellington Hospital.

The ‘Patch with love’ launch will take place in Wellington Hospital on Friday 30th September 2005. A Teddy Bears’ Picnic will be held in the Play Room Ward 19 in the Wellington Children’s Hospital and will be joined by Norm Hewitt who will also visit the Children’s wards to give out Patch Bears to those children that cannot come to the picnic.

This programme is specially designed to ensure paediatric surgical patients, under the age of seven years old who go to an operating theatre in Wellington Hospital will receive a ‘Patch with love’ Bear, which they can take home, along with an Ownership Certificate. The ‘Patch with love’ Bear is not only to give the patient comfort and support, in a time that can be very daunting, but can be used by nursing or medical staff to demonstrate various procedures to children eg Patch Bears can be bandaged, have an injection, etc. The Bear’s gown, resembles the gown the child wears to theatre and can be reversed to resemble a doctor’s coat if required. Every-day teddy clothes are also available throughout Pumpkin Patch stores.

Each ‘Patch with love’ Bear represents funds for surgical research.

This programme was first introduced into Wellington Hospital in 1996. Its success meant the programme expanded into the Wellington Regional Hospitals, to include Kenepuru, Hutt and Masterton Hospitals, and in 2002 was launched into Christchurch Hospital. We’re excited to be launching the ‘Patch with love’ project into Waikato Hospital later this year. Today, thanks to the generosity of Pumpkin Patch, the programme will continue for another two years, and benefits over one third of children going to operating theatres throughout New Zealand.

Pumpkin Patch is very grateful for the support they’re given by the community, the parents and the children themselves and in turn is committed to supporting the community through its focus on child-related charities and sponsorships. Together with The Surgical Research Trust this enables Pumpkin Patch to easily achieve this objective in a positive and practical manner… benefiting all concerned.

ENDS

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