A 12-year-old girl has invented a genius device to make IV drips less scary for young patients.
Ella Casano, from Connecticut, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura when she was just seven tears old.
The disease means that her body destroys the platelets in her blood, and the youngster requires IV infusions every few weeks.
Feeling intimidated and scared by how clinical her IV looked, Ella decided to come up with an idea to make the medicine seem less daunting, using a teddy bear and a hot glue gun to create the "Medi Teddy".
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The cute device conceals all the medical equipment that goes into an IV drip to make the whole process feel a bit friendlier.
On her website, Ella explains: "When I had my first infusion, I was surprised and a little bit intimidated by the look of the amount of tubing and medical equipment on my IV pole.
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"As I saw more and more children experiencing the same feelings, I became more interested in creating a friendlier experience for young IV patients, so I created Medi Teddy. I hope that Medi Teddy helps you just as much as it helps me!"
She goes on to explain: "Medi Teddy is a stuffed animal pouch that covers and conceals an IV bag. The back of the pouch is mesh, allowing for a doctor or nurse to see through and check on the fluid or medication a child is receiving.
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"From the front, the child sees a friendly face and not the bag of medication, blood product or IV fluid being infused."
Entrepreneurial Ella now has a patent and a manufacturing company for her product, and is now raising money via a Go Fund Me page so that she can donate 500 Medi Teddies to children like her.
You can donate to Ella's fundraiser here.
Featured Image Credit: Medi Teddy
