Kindergartners seek bear care at local hospital

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – More than a hundred Teddy Bears, stuffed animals and dolls received medical care this week from Medina Memorial Hospital in the return of the Teddy Bear Clinic.

The top photo shows Jeanine Corbett from the hospital checking on a monkey owned by a kindergartner from the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion.

The hospital used to have the clinic and welcomed kindergartners to bring in toys that would receive bandages, X-rays, Band-Aids and other care.

But when local schools cut back on field trips about a decade ago, the Teddy Bear Clinic went away. The hospital is bringing it back and Albion kindergartners were the first to give it a try.

Mary Dunham, a nurse a Medina Memorial, looks over some of the stuffed animals brought in today by kindergartners.

The hospital hopes the Teddy Bear Clinic helps children to feel more comfortable if they ever need to go to the hospital.

Erika Keyes shows students the X-ray machine.

Mary Dunham shows students a X-ray of a Teddy Bear with a penny in its stomach.

Jonah Elsenheimer brought in his stuffed animal of a dog. Mary Dunham puts a bandage on the dog’s leg after Jonah said it fell off its skateboard. The students were welcome to make up injuries for their stuffed animals.