UNC Children’s physician-in-chief Stephanie Duggins Davis, MD, along with members of the UNC Children’s development team and Child Life, distributed teddy bears to patients at the N.C. Children’s Hospital in December.
“A hospital bed is never where a child wants to be during the holidays,” Davis said. “These cute teddy bears brought so many smiles to the faces of our amazing, resilient children.”
The teddy bears were donated during a fundraising campaign UNC Children’s ran last December to support the Children’s Program Fund, discretionary funding for the hospital.
A portion of each gift donated to the Children’s Program Fund went towards a teddy bear given to a child spending the holidays in the hospital.
“The Children’s Program Fund is our highest fundraising priority,” Keela Lyon, senior executive director of development for UNC Children’s, said. “Discretionary funding is what really allows [UNC] Children’s to consistently be a top regional children’s hospital.”
The Teddy Bear Campaign provided 200 bears to patients and raised more than $33,000 to support children’s health at UNC.
“We want UNC Children’s to continue to be the most special, unforgettable place that we hope you never have to visit. Philanthropy allows us to do so many special things for our young patients, thanks to people’s generosity,” Lyon said.