Bearing up with dignity
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The eyes of the young patient lit up when she realized the brown teddy bear dressed in a red cheerleaders outfit was for her.
The joy on the girl's face brought the Rev. Eddie L Scott Sr. near tears. "It is amazing the impact a simple gift can make," he remarked with a smile.
Music, one of Scott's many loves, led him to his latest project. He was asked to play with a man who was performing for cancer patients at the University of Chicago, which is where he met Connie and Scott Marhanka and learned about the New Day Foundation.
Connie had been battling breast cancer for several years and had found that a simple teddy bear brought her great comfort during her chemotherapy sessions.
She and her husband started a foundation to reach out to other people battling cancer. Every Box of Hope contains a teddy bear to give comfort and remind the cancer patient there is someone who cares and understands what he or she is going through.
Every year New Day Foundation holds a concert to collect new teddy bears to distribute to cancer patients.Scott and his wife have adopted this idea. In December they had their third annual concert in Gary, bringing in more than 400 new teddy bears.
They brought the bears last month to The Methodist Hospital in Merrillville, along with a group of local high school students. They distributed teddy bears to patients on 4w3 and the pediatrics floor.
A few days later the couple visited the hospital's Gary campus. They distributed teddy bears to patients on 5 South, the pediatrics floor and the neonatal intensive care unit.
Barbara Bosnak, nurse manager on 4w3, was delighted by the visit. "The bears brought smiles to the faces of all who received them, as well as their visitors and nursing staff of 4w3 who saw the beautiful bears on every nightstand in every room."
She thanked the couple and the high school students for their efforts "to make life a little brighter for everyone."
- For The Times
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