(WHDH) — A young girl in Connecticut invented a unique teddy bear to help ease the nerves of kids who have to get IV infusions.
Ella Casano created the Medi Teddy after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) when she was seven, forcing her to get IV infusions every six to eight weeks.
“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,” the now 12-year-old said in a statement on her website. “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.”
Casano and her mother applied for a patent in hopes of manufacturing and distributing the invention to children at no cost.
A GoFundMe account created on Sunday has raised more than $10,000 in four days.
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