Toys make surgery bearable

Scarlett Dowty, 4, plays with her "phil&teddy" as Julie Seymour looks on. Photo / Simon Baker

Hundreds of young children facing surgery will have their fears eased by adopting a soft toy that helps them understand what it is the surgeons are planning to do.

Prominent sports stars are joining the Surgical Research Trust and a children's product supplier to distribute teddy bears to children in hospitals around the country.

Former Silver Ferns captain Julie Seymour was helping to hand out more than 500 of the bears at Christchurch Hospital yesterday. Former All Black Norm Hewitt and Silver Fern Irene Van Dyk are among others giving the bears to children at Wellington, Lower Hutt and Waikato hospitals.

Each bear comes with an adoption certificate. It can be used to help explain the procedure that they are about to undergo, and assist with the emotional stress of surgery.

"It could be the child's first visit to hospital and can be a scary experience for some," said Canterbury's child health service manager, Anne Morgan.

"Having a teddy will be a great source of comfort and reassurance."