The Healing Power of Teddy Bears for Adults With Cancer

There are many instances where teddy bears can be the key to opening hearts and minds during cancer care.

Here are some ways in which a teddy bear may help adult cancer patients:

• Teddy bears remind us of childhood and evoke a feeling of nostalgia. Pleasant memories of the past can comfort us and give us a sense of familiarity. A newly diagnosed cancer patient feels a lot of fear and anxiety. Good memories of the past are embedded in the teddy bear and provide a patient with a sense of calm.
• Teddy bears reduce anxiety. New cancer patients are in the process of learning about the type of cancer they have and what treatment options are available to them. This causes stress. The teddy bear can help to reduce that stress through the sense of touch. Just like petting a dog can lower your cortisol level, the same is true for embracing and holding a teddy bear. An encompassing energy is present in the teddy bear that the patient experiences.
• There is a mystical aspect about teddy bears in that they provide unconditional love. They are symbols of love. When a cancer patient holds a teddy bear, they feel loved. They feel a soothing connection. This is the reason teddy bears help patients who are grieving the loss of their breasts, bladder, testicles or prostate gland.
• Teddy bears help patients to improve their coping skills, and they provide a sense of support that is tangible. They foster a type of inner strength. When cancer patients are confronted with handling insurance matters, legal and financial issues, it can be overwhelming. Having to establish living wills and medical powers of attorney can be frightening. Teddy bears can help to make cancer patients feel safe and comfortable in expressing how they feel. In doing so, teddy bears can help to improve our mental health and well-being.

• Teddy bears make us smile. When cancer patients hold a teddy bear, it may often bring a smile to their face. This is a spontaneous response. The brain releases neurotransmitters of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which help to improve the mood, reduce the heart rate, and even cause patients to relax. With so much going on in the mind of a cancer patient, this can cause them to stop and feel joy inside their body. And that joy radiates within them. When cancer patients are visited by loved ones and friends who care about them, that too, puts a smile on their face and that support helps to build resilience.

Overall, teddy bears are great healers. They can improve our motivations. The sense of touch provides support and help us to develop adaptability. Teddy bears can help to strengthen our faith and give us a great sense of security during the time when we’re diagnosed and when we’re beginning treatment. They provide hope throughout the treatment process, whether surgery, chemotherapy or radiation is involved. Teddy bears can help us to learn to accept ourselves as we are and support us when we’re losing our hair and grieving that loss.

There are three factors that a cancer patient may think about when they view a teddy bear. First, they are looking at the teddy bear’s facial expression. Next, they consider whether or not the teddy bear’s personality appeals to them. And finally, they decide if they like the color of the bear. When these factors coalesce in a cancer patient’s mind, a special internal connection takes place with the bear and this, for me, is where the mystical aspects complete that connection. There is an embracing energy. It’s something I can’t explain because it’s beyond words. The teddy bear is then able to help relieve the fear of a newly diagnosed patient having to go for a CT scan and PET scan. The teddy bear may accompany them and thus, may directly affect their attitude and ability to cope. There is an astonishing sense of protection. This is the power of a teddy bear.

When given to someone by family and friends or philanthropic organizations, teddy bears take on special meaning and significance. They can assist with removing doubt, fear, and uncertainty from a patient. They embody caregiving in their essence. When no one is around, the cancer patient still feels a heightened sense of presence, overflowing with love and support, embodied in the teddy bear. The patient is not alone, and they feel infinite compassion.

The Rotary Club of Easton, Pennsylvania, demonstrates this with their project called, “Valentine’s Day Teddy Bears for Oncology Patients.” They started giving out teddy bears on Valentine’s Day with a card that read: “Roses are red, and violets are blue, to help you feel better, here’s a teddy bear for you.” This project has been going on for 24 years and the Rotary members have given out hundreds of bears. Initially, the focus of the project was on adult inpatient cancer patients receiving chemotherapy infusions. However, it became so popular that they are now giving bears to outpatients as well. Two years ago, they expanded their program to nearby hospitals that care for children with cancer as well as other medical concerns.

In my opinion, this program validates how powerful teddy bears can be in the care of adult cancer patients, and it corroborates my clinical experiences. Regardless of the type of cancer a patient may have, a teddy bear is a great resource to help the patient on their cancer journey.

As adults, we all need support, and I think there’s no better way to gain that support than by having a teddy bear in our room. They make everyone smile! And they’re a great source of therapy for all of us!

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