Family CARE Grants Help Ease Anxiety for Young Patients
Published Monday, August 10, 2026
Amy Halvorsen, Manager of Paediatric Inpatient/Outpatient; Bryn Roberts, Child Life Specialist; and Abbey Meloche, Child Life Specialist, with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre are pictured with a Medi Teddy IV bag cover funded through the Family CARE Grants program.
Hospital visits and medical procedures can be overwhelming for children, especially when IV medications, blood products, or infusions can appear intimidating or unfamiliar. Through the Health Sciences Foundation's Family CARE Grants program, paediatric patients at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will benefit from new Medi Teddy IV bag covers designed to make treatments feel less frightening.
The reusable covers attach to IV poles and conceal medication or blood bags from view, helping create a friendlier and more comforting environment for children receiving treatment. The project was inspired by frontline staff working directly with young patients and families, with support from donors and Thunder Bay 50/50 participants helping bring the idea to life through the Family CARE (Care Advancement Recommended by Employees) Grants program.
“The hospital already is a scary place for children,” said Bryn Roberts, Child Life Specialist. “There's a lot of anxiety around medical procedures. Sometimes an IV and the medicine they're getting can be visually scary as well.”
Abbey Meloche, Child Life Specialist, noted the Medi Teddy is already being used in other hospitals and was invented by a woman in the United States to help make medical experiences less frightening for children.
Staff say the covers help reduce anxiety and provide additional comfort in what can already be a stressful environment for children and their families.
To see more projects funded through the program and learn how you can contribute, visit healthsciencesfoundation.ca/familycare.