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EACH child who is nursed at Sunshine House will be given a teddy bear on admission to help soothe the anxiety of being away from home.
Sunshine House, in Walker Street, provides respite care for children with serious health problems and is supported and helped with funding from the Smile Foundation, who have refurbished rooms and tided up their garden for the children to enjoy.
Smile has now partnered with leading dental practice East Yorkshire Dental Studios for the next 12 months, to help support the unit.
Jason Spence, principal dentist and owner, has pledged to support Smile’s chosen charities, and one of the main projects will be to give each child at Sunshine House, and their siblings, a teddy.
The children will also be given a sleepover pack for overnight stays, which includes toiletries, toothbrush, and pyjamas.
The unit’s Senior Nurse Tracey Robinson said: “What a teddy bear does is give unconditional love, warmth and reassurance. They will always be there and never turn away from a child. A teddy bear will be someone to share your hopes, wishes, dreams and fears to, and never shatter that trust.
“A teddy bear will be a life-long friend on a child’s journey and should the time come when that journey becomes heartbreaking, a teddy bear will become a precious memory for loved ones left behind.”
Mr Spence said he was looking forward to working with Smile for such an important charity.
“Sunshine House is an amazing facility with excellent care for children with very complex health needs. Many people are not aware it exists, so we’re delighted to not only help on a practical level, but to raise awareness among our many staff and patients.”
As well as helping with the Teddy Bear campaign, EYDS will be raising money for Smile’s other chosen charities, including Special Smiles and Friends of the Hull Memory Clinic.
Mr Spence, who has three practices, in Brough, Beverley, and Hedon, added: “What is so nice about working with the Smile Foundation is that all the money raised stays in East Yorkshire to help local charities, and being a dad, it gives me extra motivation to know that two of the chosen charities directly impact upon children’s lives.”
Andy Barber, Charity Manager at Smile, said: “We are delighted to have EYDS on board. Our challenge is to utilise their full range of skills and resources, and not just the funds they raise.”