More Than 800 Stuffed Animals Treated At ER
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Sometimes even teddy bears need a little TLC.
To help with the demand, UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital threw open the doors to their new emergency department weeks early.
Teddy Bear Hospital took hundreds of stuffed animals and dolls from check-in to exam and beyond Saturday so younger people patients could experience what goes on during a medical emergency without the fear of an actual emergency.
PHOTO GALLERY: Teddy Bears Get A Little TLC
"Emergency room visits can be very scary for children and their families since many don't know what to expect," said Kerry Borrego, UCHealth's trauma program outreach coordinator. "This is a great opportunity to bring children through the ER and simulate what a visit might be like for the child but their stuffed animal is the patient instead."
Kids and their teddies also got the chance to check out the ambulances, a fire truck, and meet the therapy dogs that work in the UCHealth hospitals.
The new emergency department is scheduled to open Feb. 26 as part of a three-story, 185,000-square-foot expansion that includes a new orthopedics unit, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and a rooftop helipad.
More than 2,000 people, along with their stuffed animals and dolls, attended the event.
