Emergency Trauma Bears
Two Tokoroa women have donated Trauma Bears to St John Ambulance to comfort children who have been through a traumatic experience.
Gesina Jansen and Lynne Bray have been knitting from a young age, but recently took on a new form of knitting to make Trauma Bears.
Trauma bears are designed to comfort children who have been injured or who have been through a traumatic experience.
Jansen said ‘‘It is nice for the children, and gives comfort to the little ones.’’
Although Jansen and Bray have only recently started making the bears, the first donation to St John involved eight bears, with many more to come.
Jenny Mariu from St John said ’’It is easy for children to point out where they are sore on the bear, or even just be of comfort to them.’’
She said the Trauma Bears will be kept in the back of the ambulance for when they are needed, but said she will give some to the fire service, as they deal with small children also.
‘‘It is lovely for children to get something knitted,’’ she said.
A drop-off point at the information centre is available to those who want to donate wool for future Trauma Bears.
Mariu said ‘‘It [the bears] is really appreciated from us, it is nice for them [children] to be able ot cuddle.’’