HSHS St. Anthony's Foundation Expands Hugs and Cuddles Program Thanks to Donation from COHIHO Foundation

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Published on July 1 2015 10:11 am
Last Updated on July 1 2015 10:11 am
Written by Greg Sapp

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s Hugs & Cuddles Program has helped relieve the anxiety of pediatric patients facing surgery for the past four years. The program provides a teddy bear to children having surgery at St. Anthony’s, to cuddle prior to their surgery and as they recover after their surgery. Each child gets to take their teddy bear home with them as well, to remind them of their bravery.

(HEIDI BRUMLEVE WITH ONE OF THE TEDDY BEARS GIVEN THROUGH THE HOSPITAL'S "HUGS AND CUDDLES" PROGRAM)

Now thanks to a $9,000 donation from the COHIHO Foundation, pediatric patients who are having an x-ray or CT scan have a bear to help them through an imaging test that can be scary and confusing to young children. The bears are given to pediatric imaging patients at the hospital and at all the hospital’s Diagnostic Centers in Effingham, Altamont, Neoga, Newton and Teutopolis.

Ken Repking, St. Anthony’s Imaging manager, explained how the bears calm the children as well as help the hospital’s staff. “Radiology technologists strive to provide the highest quality images possible so that an accurate diagnosis can be made and the patient’s healing process can begin. This can become challenging when dealing with pediatric patients,” he shared. “Children do not understand what is going on and the imaging equipment can be scary to them. Therefore they do not hold still and their movement degrades our images and can make interpretation of the films more difficult for the Radiologist,” he explained. “This is where the Hugs & Cuddles bears assist our technologists.  A bear is given to the child prior to the exam and we ask the child what they will name their new bear.  The bear then accompanies the child to the scanner and thru the imaging process,” he said. “Their new friend then goes home with them afterwards.”

These bears are made possible by the COHIHO Foundation. Heidi is the middle daughter of Joe and Suzette Brumleve who were the founders of the COHIHO Foundation. She has always had a love for children and a special way with babies. Her parents established the Foundation so that although she is in an adviser position, she would have a set percentage of funds in which to donate to a cause of her choice each year. Over the years, she has supported many causes and all of them are geared toward benefiting children in some way. She was delighted to have the opportunity to give funds toward the Hugs & Cuddles Program at St. Anthony’s.

Repking expressed his gratitude to the COHIHO Foundation for the contribution that made possible the Hugs & Cuddles Program expansion for the Imaging department. “It is amazing the comfort the bears can provide to these patients,” he said. “We are extremely grateful to Heidi and the Brumleve family for their generous donation which allows us to provide some comfort to our youngest patients.”

HSHS St. Anthony’s Foundation (formerly The Friends of St. Anthony’s), is the fundraising organization of St. Anthony’s and was established to ensure the continuing growth, stability and future of health care in this region. For more information about the HSHS St. Anthony’s Foundation or to contribute to hospital programs such as the Hugs & Cuddles Program, contact Michael Wall, Director of Philanthropy, at (217) 347-1854, or email  Michael.Wall@hshs.org.