A 12-year-old has come up with a brilliant way to conceal IV hospital drips so as to reduce young patients’ fears.
Ella Casano was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) when she was just seven years old. It is an autoimmune disease which can reduce blood platelets to dangerously low levels.
Due to insufficient platelets, the blood cannot clot properly and a person suffering from the condition experiences excessive bruising and bleeding.
The young girl has to undergo IV infusions after every six to eight weeks.
At first, she was extremely scared of the process. Out of her fear, she created a stuffed bear – named the Medi Teddy – to place around the saline medical bag so that it remains concealed.
‘When I had my first infusion, I was surprised and a little bit intimidated by the look of the amount of tubing and medical equipment on my IV pole,’ a statement on Ella’s website reads.
‘As I saw more and more children experiencing the same feelings, I became more interested in creating a friendlier experience for young IV patients, so I created Medi Teddy.
‘I hope that Medi Teddy helps you just as much as it helps me!’
Ella’s mom Meg told CNN of her daughter’s condition: ‘It’s when her body attacks and destroys its own platelets, so it puts her at higher risk for bleeding or injury, more than most people.
‘So, she cut up a stuffed animal and used a hot glue gun and made her very first Medi Teddy.’
The pouch’s back is made of mesh so that doctors and nurses can easily keep track of how much medication they’ve given to a patient.
Ella developed several prototypes and had them all tested by the hospital nurses so that she can further improve it on the basis of their feedback.
Her company is now in the final stages of registering itself as a nonprofit organization.
Last week, they set up a crowdfunding page so that Ella can donate 500 Medi Teddys to kids like her.
The GoFundMe page ended up raising a whopping $17,002 against a target of $5,000.
‘The response has been wonderful — her nurses have tried the prototypes and given suggestions,’ Meg said. ‘And we think we are ready to produce a really awesome product that can help hundreds of kids.’
Recommended Video!
“Drake Paid A Surprise Visit To Hospital To Fulfill 11-year-old Girl’s Wish To Meet Him”