Bears help reduce kids’ stress

TWO NORTH Shore youngsters were recently presented
with a large trauma bear by the North Vancouver RCMP

and Shaw Cable.

The bear is a “big brother” of
several smaller trauma _ bears
“handed out to children by the

local police department during the

recent North Vancouver RCMP-
sponsored National Night Out

Against Crime.

The two North Shore winners
of the giant trauma bear are
sisters Shauna Beaudet, 5, and
Camille Beaudet, 3.

The trauma bears are used to
‘comfert children and are donated

A TEA

4é The bear helped her
focus her attention away
_ from the horrifying events
’ at hand and reassure

; her. 99

— Shaw Cable spokesman

- to the North Vancouver RCMP by

Shaw Cable.
: ‘The bears are dressed in blue
Shaw Cable T-shirts and are being

distributed across the country to -

help. and. comfort traumatized
-~ children.

.'The: bears are donated to local
police and fire departments, am-
bulance services, hospitals and
various government agencies, and
are to be handed out as they are
needed

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

Shaw Cable says there are two

reasons to give out the trauma
bears:
@ children’s stress is reduced
when they have something to hug
and hold when involved in
traumatic situations;

© the bears tend to have a calm-.

ing and soothing effect on
children who are traumatized.

The bears also help to calm
parents in stressful situations.

Shaw Cable adds that it has
received praise from various agen-
cies who hand out the trauma
bears.

“As one example, one night a
man was picked up by police
because he was drunk and
wandering the streets with his
three-year-old daughter. When
the social worker arrived at the
police station, she gave one of the
teddy bears to the little girl who
cuddled it all the way to a foster
home.

“‘Sbe wouldn’t let the bear go
and went off to bed with it tucked
under her arm using it to comfort
herself much like she would use a
security blanket’? said a Shaw
Cable spokesman.

In another situation, a Shaw
Cable trauma bear was used at the

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scene of a motor vehicle accident
involving an injured six-year-old
girl.

“The bear helped her focus her
attention away from the horrify-
ing events at hand and reassure
her.”

“The staff fook forward to
playing a part in reaching out to
help a child in need of some reas-
surance,’ said Shaw Cable presi-
dent James R. Shaw. ‘‘We are
pleased to maintain the Program
as long as there is a need."”

Shaw Cable also gives the
trauma bears away as prizes in
promotional contests. The bears
are also available to the public
from Shaw Cable offices across
Canada.

TERRY MEOD (back row at
ieft), Shaw Cable systems
manager; North Vancouver
RCMP inap. Peter Wlodarezak;
Shauna Beaudet (front row et
left}; Camilie Beaudet; and
Morth Vancouver ACMP Supt.
Robert Gyam pose with a giant
trauma bear won by the two
Beaudet sisters.

REWS photo Net Lucentio