Benny was diagnosed with type 1 before he was old enough to pronounce diabetes. My parents bought him a Curious George doctor doll and his beloved Elmo often got a juice box and a shot. We explained everything the best we could to our 2 year old, but found that diabetes-play better helped him process what was going on.
That’s why I’m a big fan of Jerry the Bear, an adorable plush toy (below)that teaches kid about diabetes.
I met the company founders at a conference last summer; they made a big impression on me. Jerry is a great tool for children with diabetes and for their friends and classmates. It makes learning about diabetes less scary and more fun.
I’m so pleased that they asked me to help get the word out about their latest project. It’s a pretty audacious one. They want to give every newly diagnosed child a Jerry the Bear toy. For free.
From their website:
“Last Christmas, we shipped our first production run of Jerry the Bear and reached 2% of all newly diagnosed children with T1D in the U.S. Now, after 5 months, kids are still playing with Jerry for over an hour each week – monitoring his blood sugar levels, feeding him a healthy diet, and replaying his educational lessons.
This makes us ask the questions, what if we can get Jerry into the hands of100% of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes? Can we make a profound difference in the life of every child diagnosed?”
I bet they can do it. Find out more about how you can help with this big idea (link takes you to their fundraising campaign).
Just want to know more about Jerry the Bear? Watch this:
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