X-ray

For the Teddy Bear Hospital, the terrace on the fourth floor of Maastricht UMC+ is divided into many consultation, treatment and operating rooms. Spread over three days, dozens of kindergarten classes come to visit. On Wednesday afternoon, the children of the MUMC+ staff can have their stuffed toys examined. “To return the favour for the cooperation we receive in organising this”, says Danique.

In their white coats, the bear doctors are ready to help all the stuffed toys get back on their feet—like the hippo of Joleijne (4). What is going on with the toy, the doctor wants to know. “I threw him in the air and now he is sick.” That requires a thorough investigation. Together with the bear doctor, Joleijne does an X-ray, after which she gives the hippo an injection to put him under anaesthesia so that he can be operated on. Joleijne, with a surgical cap and gown on, can apply the plasters. To be on the safe side, the paw of the toy also gets a plaster cast. It’s a meticulous job, which the 4-year-old watches closely. Then she gets a pill from the pharmacy and the treatment is finished. Because she has treated her hippo so well, the doctor hands Joleijne a ‘bear diploma’.

Eliminating fear

“The Teddy Bear Hospital introduces children to healthcare in a playful way”, says Danique. “I myself have never been afraid of the doctor, but many children are. We’re trying to basically eliminate that fear. Last year, there was a child with a colon infection. She saw how her toy was ‘treated’, which reduced her own anxiety. In fact, she was the one who reassured her mother by saying that ‘bear also got better’.”