Ostomy Buddy: Huggable Teaching Tool for Kids

In 1995, Marty Postlethwait founded the Shadow Buddies Foundation to help her son Miles. Miles wanted a friend just like him, someone that had the same physical challenges that he was born with, he wanted a doll that could shadow him to his doctor's appointments and be a friend during treatments. Marty took action and she made Miles his Shadow Buddy. Shadow Buddies started with dolls that represented 4 different medical conditions and has now expanded to include 26 conditions.

An amazing aspect of this organization is that they are committed to forming partnerships with companies so that they can provide Shadow Buddies to hospitals and organizations at no charge to the young patient. The Buddies are given to children when they are first diagnosed.  These dolls are both friends and teaching tools that help to increase understanding and compassion. The child can have their Shadow Buddy with them when they are in hospital or waiting in a doctor's office. For children who have an ostomy and are adjusting to how their body has changed and wearing a pouch, it is a wonderful blessing to have a doll that looks like them and wears an ostomy pouch just like them too!

Hollister is a maker of quality ostomy supplies. They have a wide range of pouches, pastes, barriers, they have everything you need to care for your ostomy. Hollister is also one of the companies that partnered with Shadow Buddies to help kids with an ostomy get their very own Buddy.  Hollister donates all of the pediatric ostomy pouches used to complete each ostomy Shadow Buddy. That means if your child uses Hollister, they will have the exact same pouch as their new huggable friend! By donating their pouches, Hollister is helping kids get their Shadow Buddies at no charge. Shadow Buddies is a great way to increase awareness and promote positive body image for even the smallest of ostomates. I imagine that there are many children that are very thankful Miles asked his Mom for a friend just like him and kudos to Marty Postlethwait for making her son's dream a reality.