Our dear friend Elise--who is a nurse practitioner on a pediatric palliative care team at a children's hospital in New York City--has started a phenomenal project that truly is FROM THE HEART. Please help us spread the word about this special program, Heartbeat Memory Bears.

Pediatric palliative care is an interdisciplinary care approach for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions that is focused on improving quality of life and supporting their physical and emotional needs, as well as supporting the child’s family. Elise's palliative care team is comprised of 3 physicians, 1 nurse practitioner, 2 social workers, and 1 chaplain; on average, they are caring for 40 patients and their families at any given time. It goes without saying: Elise and her team are earthbound "angels in scrubs."

When a child in their care is nearing the end of their life, the care team will record the child's heartbeat, using a Doppler monitor, into a small battery-operated heart-shaped recorder and place it in a teddy bear, via a zippered pocket, for their family to cherish forever. Families are also given the digital file of the recording to keep on their phones and a replacement battery for the bear's heart.

Since beginning this initiative at the end of 2024, the team has created and given 10 bears to families who have lost a child in their care. Each bear costs $25-35, and unfortunately there is no line item in the hospital budget for this--so far, this has come out of the team's personal funds. Today (Feb 21) is National Caregivers Day, so in honor of this amazing team, please consider contributing to Heartbeat Memory Bears. All donations will go toward supplies for future bears.

Please share this link and spread the word! And to all the caregivers out there, THANK YOU!