Julia Terk, a senior at St. Catherine University and an employee at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview in the Emergency Department has seen Hugs at work. She states, “I know that your foundation has donated teddy bears to the ER and to the pediatric units of many hospitals and I was wondering if you would be able to help me out. I am going to Guayaquil, Ecuador this January with the International Children’s Heart Foundation that brings life saving surgery to children with Congenital Heart Defects. During that time, the children and their families go through the most stressful time before the child’s major heart surgery as well as during the surgery and during recovery.  I have gone on a previous trip as a student intern with ICHF in August of 2010 and I have noticed how small toys bring happiness to the children during recovery.  I was hoping that your foundation could help me out by donating 20-25 teddy bears that I could take with me in January. I know that the children will greatly appreciate them and the smiles on their faces will be cherished forever.” And, yes, Hugs did send the bears to Julia for her mission trip and she was delighted to tell us that the kids absolutely LOVED them. {gallery}sig/newsUMMC{/gallery}