12-year-old girl with autoimmune disease creates teddy bear to hide IV bag

Courtesy of Instagram / Medi Teddy

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A 12-year-old girl with an autoimmune disease has invented a way to make an IV pole look less intimidating. 

For many children, including Ella Casano, all of the tubing and medical equipment attached to an IV pole can be scary. 

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That's why Ella decided to invent Medi Teddy, a "stuffed animal pouch that covers and conceals an IV bag." 

Ella was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP, so every eight weeks she has to spend a day at an outpatient clinic getting infusions. 

"When I had my first infusion, I was surprised and a little bit intimidated by the look of the amount of tubing and medical equipment on my IV pole," Ella wrote on her website. "As I saw more and more children experiencing the same feelings, I became more interested in creating a friendlier experience for young IV patients, so I created Medi Teddy." 

Medi Teddy has a mesh back so doctors and nurses can still check on the fluid or medication inside the IV bag.  

To learn more, visit the Medi Teddy website