Lesley is the Story Bear Editor of the Travelling Awareness Bears.
The Traveling Awareness Bears is a soon to be Not For Profit Organization, whose mission is:
To spread awareness around the world about different disabilities, disorders, syndromes, etc. while providing love and encouragement towards children. To help children not only feel more comfortable about their “differences” but, to show them that they are not alone with those “differences.”
Our bears each have a diagnosis. If your child has the same diagnosis as one of our bears, you may sign him/her up for a visit from that particular bear. The bear will visit your child for 1 week, accompanied by a passport and journal. The passport will be stamped by you and your child to show where it has been and the journal will be written in from the bear’s perspective about its visit with you. Feel free to include photos! Our Pediatric Stroke Awareness bear, Pat, has already helped children through his visits. The bears reflect what they can of each diagnosis. Pat, for instance, wears an AFO (Ankle Foot Orthotic). He has helped children feel less alone and different because he wears an AFO just like they do. He helped one little girl feel less embarrassed by her AFO, making her want to wear a skirt to school for the first time.
Bears and their Specialists
- Autism – Artie and Anna (Bear Care Specialist – Kristi Van Vleet)
- Pediatric Stroke – Pat and Patricia (Bear Care Specialist – Jennifer Rutherford)
- Rare Chromosome Disorder – Gene and Genie (Bear Care Specialist – Jennifer Rutherford)
- Cerebral Cavernous Malformation – Charlie and Charlise (Bear Care Specialist – Darla Clayton)
- ADHD and ADD – Adam and Addy (Bear Care Specialist – Annette Brennan)
- Cerebral Palsy (non stroke related) – Carl and Carla (Bear Care Specialist – Kelly Page)
- Diabetes – Dan and Diane (Bear Care Specialist – Eileen Rosa)
- Glutaric Aciduria type 1 – Matt and Martha (Bear Care Specialist – Katie Schifino)
- Chiari Malformation – Caden and Cassie (Bear Care Specialist – Tiffany Reed)
For more information on the Travelling Awareness Bear Project please visit their website : http://www.travelingawarenessbears.org/
