Striving to lessen the negative effects of lifelong illness on chronically-ill patients, such as medical PTSD, through physician-patient trust.

We believe in taking action in order to comfort vulnerable children and to raise awareness amongst physicians about the psychosocial effects of chronic illnesses on young, fragile patients. We promote our values to ensure all children with chronic illnesses never feel that they are overlooked. Please join us by supporting our efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Our Initiative: Making a Difference

The Fluffy Friends Program strengthens physician-patient trust with a teddy bear personalized to each patient's diagnosis, ensuring no child ever feels alone in their journey with a lifelong illness.

Our Purpose

Patients with lifelong diagnoses will always need their physician- a physician they can trust to make the right decisions for their health and well-being. Without that, patients suffer. They are more likely to withhold crucial information a doctor needs in order to properly treat them. They are less likely to confide in their doctor when something is bothering them. A trusting relationship between a patient and his/her physician is one of the key factors of adverse childhood event (ACE) outcomes. A teddy bear is a child's best friend, often the first, who understands life in every way. The Fluffy Friends program provides physicians with a tool to demonstrate compassionate care while providing patients with a forever friend. Additionally, empathetic care has been demonstrated to help prevent physician burnout. Here at Fluffy Friends for Children with Chronic Conditions, we work to strengthen physician's healing power so that patients never feel alone.