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
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.