Album: Seton’s Teddy Bear Clinic 2008

Click below for Seton Coastside’s compilation of memories from twenty years of Teddy Bear Clinics, or visit our albums from the clinics in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Memories from 20 years of Teddy Bear Clinics

Teddy Bear Clinic at Seton Coastside in Moss Beach began twenty – one years ago in 1987 on the last Sunday in September. In keeping with that tradition, it is still is on the last Sunday of September and now has about 300 children and their parents visit the hospital for an educational, fun-filled day. Many different stuffed animals receive "treatment", so that the "parents" of the "patients", aren’t afraid when a real emergency occurs. Here are some recollections from the Clinic’s attendees and volunteers.

Rae Abileah from El Granada remembers the Teddy Bear Clinic fondly. "Amidst my childhood memories of growing up on the coastside, visiting the annual teddy bear clinic stands out as a true highlight.  I remember one year when my stuffed dog, Sam, was really hurting from a bad tree fall.  Were it not for the excellent care from the doctors and nurses at Seton, he may not have received critical medical attention, including a splint, cast, and bandage, to save his leg.  The lollypop and smiles I received were equally as important to his well-being and, of course, my own. My friends and I loved the Teddy Bear Clinic."

Says Debbie Negri from Seton Coastside’s Lab, "When we see children for a blood draw after they have visited Teddy Bear Clinic, they are much more relaxed. In fact one girl helped her father be more at ease by telling him that he could get his blood drawn and it would be okay because they had been to Teddy Bear Clinic". It is a very real-to-life experience, especially for the younger children.

Another Seton Coastside associate has a touching memory of Teddy Bear Clinic. Louise Wehser, an Emergency Department Nurse at Seton Coastside states, "This memory was from a Teddy Bear Clinic many years ago. I talked my late husband into coming to the Teddy Bear Clinic. I was to work the "ER" helping the sick teddies. He was just going to hang out. Well, we were short ER staff so I had to work in our real ER. I volunteered his services. The staff really touched him.  The caring he saw given to the children by our volunteer "nurses" really impressed him. These children brought in their "sick" teddy bears. He worked with Kristen, one of our Emergency Department nurses, took temperatures and did Blood Pressure screenings (BP). He asked me, "How do I do a BP on a stuffed animal?"  At first he was wondering what his role was, but after a few minutes he was referring the sick teddy bears to the "MD" for treatment. He used to tell me how much he enjoyed being a "nurse" for the day. I have this memory tucked away in my heart to pull out when I get a little lonely for him. I always remember this when the Teddy Bear Clinic comes around again. "

Larry Looby, a Chaplain at Seton Coastside, who is known as Dr. Ted E. Bear during Teddy Bear Clinic, remembers being handed a wet Teddy Bear by a little girl. He asked her why the bear was wet. She responded that her mother always gave her a bath before she went to the doctor, so she did the same with her stuffed animal.

Some of our illustrious "patients" from years past have been, a snake with a sore throat, a stuffed Superman who couldn’t fly, many teddy bears with broken limbs, once their "parents" see the casts appear in the Clinic, a teddy bear carried up the hill on a home-made stretcher by a little girl and her father, a blanket named Wombley. Every year we have interesting patients who keep our dedicated volunteers busy.
Thank you for visiting the Teddy Bear Clinic. Seton Coastside has the only Emergency Department staffed with a physician 24 hours, for 75 miles on the coast. Please call 650-563-7100 for general information. To make an appointment in the Lab, please call 650-563-7125. To make an appointment for an X-ray or a screening mammogram, please call 650-563-7151. To make an appointment for Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy, please call 650-563-7131. We are located at 600 Marine Boulevard in Moss Beach.