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Headwaters Health Care Centre welcomes children for playful Teddy Bear Clinic

September 11, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown

A visit to the hospital can be scary, especially if you’ve never been.

Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC) gave local children and their families a first-hand look into the health care system, as they hosted their annual Teddy Bear Clinic on Saturday (Sept. 6).

“The hospital is an important place when you need to come to it, and the last thing we want is for a child to feel uncomfortable or scared when they’re in this environment,” said Juliann McArthur, manager of patient experience and lead of the Teddy Bear Clinic. “There’s lot of bells going off, it’s busy, it can feel chaotic at times, and we really just want them to know that this is a safe place for them and that we’re going to be there for them in a comforting way to provide the care they need.”

Started in 1998, the purpose of the Teddy Bear Clinic is to help reduce childhood anxiety surrounding hospitals and medical care by inviting children to bring their stuffed toys to the hospital for a fun, pretend healthcare experience.

The Teddy Bear Clinic starts with the child and their stuffy going through the registration process, where they receive a health card and wristband for their stuffed toy and for themselves. From there, they head into triage, where the vitals of the stuffy are taken and the reason behind their visit is given. The teddy bear and child then head to the waiting area to be seen in one of the clinic’s six treatment rooms. Meeting with a Headwaters physician or nurse, they learned about the treatment needed for their stuffed animal, the treatment plan, and received a prescription. The trip to the Headwaters Teddy Bear Clinic concluded with stops at Teddy Nutrition, Teddy Pharmacy, and Teddy Hygiene, a new addition to the clinic that teaches children about handwashing techniques and germs.

Mono resident Jessica Willow attended the Headwaters Teddy Bear Clinic with her seven-year-old son, Mason, and his stuffy – Firebreath.

Speaking with the Free Press, Mason said Firebreath was treated for a fever and an upset stomach because he wasn’t eating properly.

“[The Teddy Bear Clinic] is a really good community event where you can come with friends and relatives and get used to the services that are available in the area,” said Willow.

Kristy Caulfield, a personal support worker (PSW) with Headwaters, brought her six-year-old daughter, Kennedy, to the Teddy Bear Clinic. Kennedy, who has epilepsy, has had a number of experiences with visiting the local hospital.

“A lot of kids have experiences going to emerge, and it can be a scary one; it’s the unknown,” said Caulfield. “For us, it’s helped greatly with anxiety, coming to the hospital and seeing it’s not all bad. It’s a great experience to expose them to the health care system.”

After each child’s stuffed toy received medical care, families had the opportunity to meet with some of Dufferin County’s emergency service members.

McArthur said that roughly 30 physicians and nurses from Headwaters Hospital volunteered their time to help run the Teddy Bear Clinic, and around 60 volunteers assisted throughout the whole clinic.

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