Smiles and cuddles all round as Teddy Bear Hospital returns to University of Limerick

THE Teddy Bear Hospital returned to University of Limerick this Wednesday where hundreds of school children gathered for a medical session with teddy bears. 

“Teddy Bear Hospital is a way for kids to be exposed to the medical environment, but in a nice way, just slowly introducing and showing them the different aspects of the medical environment,” Co-President of the Teddy Bear Hospital, Janai Puckett said. 

Teddy Bear Hospital, which has not taken place for a number of years due to Covid-19, is a non-profit event sustained solely by funds its members gather with Janai, who is in second year at the School of Medicine.

“They (school goers) get to learn all about what it's like to be a doctor. We have an X-ray station, we have a first aid station, we have a vital sign station, things that they'd be exposed to in the doctor's office or the hospital, making sure they know that it's okay, that they're comfortable with everything and know that it's not super scary as it seems," she explained. 

Throughout the day, pupils from eight schools came through the UL Sports Arena with around 470 children from junior and senior infants and first class attending with their fluffy toys. 

 This was the first event since Covid-19 first hit in 2020 and its return was welcomed back by schools in Limerick. 

“We had such a big waiting list to get the students back in because they were so excited to come back and have it back after so many years. Everybody's so relieved. It is a big event, but it was just so nice to have and it's such a great event for the kids. They really do have a good time,” Janai told Limerick Live. 

'Accumulations' of snow possible as Met Éireann issues new weather warning for Limerick

Olivia Pezzutti, a first year student at the School of Medicine, is Vice President of the Teddy Bear Hospital and explained how she and her classmates make it happen. 

“We're all volunteers here. It's all the UL medical students that are volunteering, mostly first and second years, but we also had some third and fourth years. The first session went great. We just had smiles all around,” she said.