How a Saskatoon woman's teddy bears help soothe kids coping with trauma during abuse investigations
A woman in Saskatoon is helping provide comfort to children when they need it most with her sewing machine and quilting scraps.
Flo Wagner has been quilting for 10 years and noticed she had a lot of leftover materials. Wagner didn’t want to throw them away, so she got creative.
“I started making these little bears and I gave them to my children, grandchildren and family friends and then I just needed to find a home for more of them,” Wagner told CTV News.
Some of the bears feature Batman, Star Wars and Avengers material while others are made of colourful solid colours. She says it roughly takes her about one afternoon to create one bear.
What started as a hobby for Wagner has taken on added significance.
Wagner has a family friend who works with the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) who suggested she contact Detective Sgt. Joanne Smallbones, who works in the child abuse and sex crimes unit, to donate her extra bears.
Smallbones took Wagner up on her offer. Now the bears are offered to kids who are coping with traumatic situations.
"It makes me happy that someone is using them and that they’re serving a purpose," Wagner said.
Smallbones says she was “really touched” when Flo reached out.
“We see a lot of negative things in our career and a lot of people that are really critical and it was really nice to see somebody reach out that wanted to do something for the kids that we see,” Smallbones said.
She says the unit investigates child abuse and often inerviews children who may witness a traumatic event.Smallbones says it’s nice to leave “something positive” for the children after they come through the station.
“The children are always overjoyed, it’s often difficult if we let them come in and choose because they want one of everything, most times we’ll pick one and give it out.”
Smallbones says it gives investigators a great feeling to give them out, as they can’t necessarily take away their trauma, but can give a small gift at the end.
While SPS can’t accept donations, the Saskatoon Police Service Foundation is a non-profit organization that can accept funds from the community.
Since funding is limited, according to Smallbones, the unit saves Wagner’s teddy bears for the “really traumatic cases” as they’re always worried about running out.
“Every kid deserves one clearly, but there’s only one Flo, she’s doing her best and we really do appreciate it.”
Wagner says she’s sent over 15 bears to the unit and says she’ll keep continuing to do so in the near future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.