Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) are delighted to partner with FLATOUTbear for a very special, limited edition, SCHF bear, raising funds for Sydney Sick Kids Appeal. 

The irresistible soft, snuggly and soothing bear is made from 100% Australian sheepskin and has been adorned with his very own SCHF ribbon to show how special he is. Each bear comes with a bespoke bag designed with artwork from patients across Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. Carefully drawn by our little artists, the bag offers a safe place for the bear to rest and be carried.  All profits from the sales of these bears will go to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation to support their Sydney Sick Kids Appeal launching on May 15 until 30 June 2023. 

For many children instead of playdates there are appointments, instead of sleepovers there are hospital stays, and instead of firsts there can be lasts. By purchasing this special bear, you can help give sick kids and their families many more good days. You can shine a light on kids’ health, helping all sick kids, no matter where, no matter what.

When Jodie welcomed her daughter Laura into the world, she was relieved to see the end of a difficult pregnancy.  But during their first night in hospital, Jodie intuitively knew something wasn’t right with her new baby girl.

“She was very sleepy,” Jodie recalls. “She wasn’t really feeding. I had to express and syringe feed her. Then the day after we got home, I was holding her after trying to feed her, and she started seizing in my hands.” Jodie called her midwife, who ordered an urgent transfer to Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. 
 
That journey alone can be a risk to a child without the proper equipment and care. Thankfully, the Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS) is equipped to support children of all ages, from premature babies to 16 year olds. 
 
For newborns like Laura, this service, supported by SCHF and donors like you, can provide children and newborns with specialist ICU equipment wherever and whenever they need it most.
 
When they arrived at the hospital, Laura was still seizing. She was rushed straight to the paediatric ICU in a humidicrib.  As a new mum, Jodie was supposed to be relishing the first few days of life with her little girl. Instead, she was back in hospital, facing the prospect of leaving without Laura.
 
Laura spent her first Christmas at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, in the very best hands. She was cared for by highly-trained doctors using state-of-the-art equipment, and specialist medical teams worked around the clock to find a diagnosis.
 
Jodie says whilst it was the most terrifying time in their lives, she is grateful for the compassion shown to her by the expert team. “We knew we were in a terrible situation, but it felt like lots of people were just giving us so much love,” Jodie says.
 
The gratitude Jodie feels for her experience at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick is a testament to the kind support from donors, who help us go all in, always, for sick kids and their families.

“To anyone who has donated to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, you helped bring a child home, full stop. You helped our family be a family,” says Jodie.

The FLATOUTbear x SCHF Bear can be purchased direct from SCHF or from our generous retail partners FLATOUTbear, purebaby and Toymate.