Providing comfort and reassurance in times of distress, Trauma Teddies are much sought after by local emergency services and agencies. Supplied not only to Police, Ambulance and Fire Services but also Hospitals, Doctors Offices, Refuges and Primary School Sick Bays children benefit from the cuddle and distraction that such a Teddy can bring.
One prolific knitter, Jill, has produced over 500 Teddies since she began in 1999. After seeing a friend knitting them Jill decided to give it a go. She was shown how to sew the “happy” faces and make the wool secure around the neck so that small children couldn’t choke on any loose ends. She usually has a Teddy in progress and has even knitted them while travelling across the Nullarbor Plain.
“I like to knit the Teddies as I feel a child or person who is in a traumatic situation, who is feeling pain, unhappy or just needs something happy and secure to hold, will have a better feeling about themselves for the moment or longer. It gives me a lot of pleasure and fulfilment that I can knit these little teddies for those who need them.”
The knitting of Trauma Teddies has been coordinated through the Red Cross since 1990 and they provide detailed instructions and much of the materials required to create the distinctive teddies. A safety check is performed and a Red Cross label of approval is sewn on each Teddy before it is sent out into the world. Across Australia tens of thousands of Trauma Teddies are given out each year.
For more information visit the Red Cross website http://www.redcross.org.au/trauma-teddy.aspx or call the Geelong Red Cross Office on 5223 8700
HuG 