Matthew was diagnosed with a heart defect early in life and endured many hospital stays at Children’s Hospital. He was always surrounded by teddy bears and toys which brought him great comfort, especially in his early years. Before his death, our family accompanied Matthew back to the hospital to distribute toys and books at the holidays to make life a little more joyful for those young children facing the holidays in a hospital room. Since it was the stuffed animals that really brought Matthew comfort, the Foundation now supports a program to distribute a teddy bear to children admitted to the hospital, that is theirs to take home. Each bear has Matthew’s name sewn in the paw. The program distributes 200 bears per month and has been hugely successful. What is more heartwarming than a smiling child clutching a stuffed animal.
