Bears f orBuddi es Now i ni t sf our t h year ,Bear sf orBuddi es pr es ent ed byCel ebr i t yChar i t yWi s hes pr ovi desnew t eddy bear sand ‘ Hi ,Buddy! ’gi f tpackst o 300+ chi l dr en atNovantHeal t h:HembyChi l dr en’ sHos pi t aland Ronal d McDonal d Hous e ofChar l ot t e.Each year ,s peci alcel ebr i t ygues ts pend t he dayvi s i t i ng t he chi l dr en,a heal t hymeali spr epar ed bya cel ebr i t ychefand a mi ni concer tpr ovi desent er t ai nment . Teddybear spr ovi de a di s t r act i on f r om t he s t r es sand f earchi l dr en exper i ence whi l ei nt he hos pi t al , and ar e a never endi ng s our ce ofhugs . The gi f tpackspr ovi de t he chi l dr en wi t hi t emst o make t hei r s t ayi nt he hos pi t almor e comf or t abl e: s ocks ,s car ves ,and hat s col or i ng booksand cr ayons puzzl e books per s onalmus i c pl ayer s ar ts uppl i es f ami l ymovi es( DVD f or mat ) j our nal s Bear sf orBuddi espr ovi descour age i na s car ypl ace,a s mi l et or epl ace t he t ear s ,hugst o make i tal l bet t er ,and s t r engt ht o gett hr ough i tal l .
Hi ,Buddy!: :October1 -December1 The ‘ Hi ,Buddy! ’campai gn al l owscommuni t ymember st os pons ora bear( $10)of‘ Hi ,Buddy! ’ pack( $25)i n honor /memor yofa l oved one. Thi syear ’ scampai gn hasa goalof300+ bear s . Vi s i t www. cel ebr i t ychar i t ywi s hes . or gf orf ul ldet ai l sand s pons ora bear . Whyt eddybear s ? Teddybear swi l lal waysbe yourf r i end Teddybear sl i s t en car ef ul l yt o ever yt hi ng you s ay,butwi l lneverr epeati t Teddybear sal l ow you t o be who you ar e Teddybear spr ovi de uncondi t i onall ove and endl es shugs
2014 Bears f orBuddi es Events NovantHeal t h HembyChi l dr en’ sHos pi t al( 2: 00pm –4: 00pm) Ronal d McDonal d Hous e ofChar l ot t e( 5: 30pm –8: 00pm)
Cel ebri ty Parti ci pants ( pastand present) Ni ckCannon,Amer i ca’ sGotTal ent Al gee,Di s neyf i l m s t ar Tocar r a Hami l t on,R&B r ecor di ng ar t i s t Br uce I r vi ne,engi neer& pr oducer Bor i sKodj oe,act or Shani ah Jones ,Tut us& Tenni sShoes Mo’ Ni que,act r es s& comedi enne Ter r el l& Wayne Ri l ey,NASCAR pr oducer s& di r ect or s NeYo,R&B r ecor di ng ar t i s t Angi e St one,R&B r ecor di ng ar t i s t Mi chel l e Wi l l i ams ,Gos pelr ecor di ng ar t i s t Comi s s i onerSt an Wat s on,Dekal b Count y As hl eyHar kr ader ,Mi s sNor t h Car ol i na Tyr one Pool e,Twot i me Super bowlChampi on:Pat r i ot s Mar i a Howel l ,Si nger& Act r es s
The Organi zati on : :Cel ebri ty Chari ty Wi shes Cel ebr i t yChar i t yWi s hes ,I nc.i sa char i t abl e or gani zat i on t hatt eamsup wi t h cel ebr i t i esand i ndus t r ypr of es s i onal s t o gr antl ove and wi s hest ot er mi nal l yi l lchi l dr en.The or gani zat i on wor kst o enr i ch t he l i vesoft hes e br ave and cour ageousyoung peopl e bybr i ngi ng t hem r el i ef ,happi nes sand s mi l es … and maki ng t hem f eell i ke a s t arf ort he day.The or gani zat i on wasf ounded i n honorofBr i anna Wat t s ,a 15yearol df r om Char l ot t e,Nor t h Car ol i na who was bat t l i ng Os t eos ar coma ( a bone cancer ) .Wat t shad a ‘ wi s hl i s t ’ofcel ebr i t i ess he want ed t o meetand t he or gani zat i on’ s f ounder scol l abor at ed t o make herwi s hescome t r ue.Wat t s ’cour age and s pi r i t ,and t he j oyder i ved f r om maki ng her f eell i ke a s t ar ,i ns pi r ed t he cr eat i on ofCel ebr i t yChar i t yWi s hes .
Teddy BearBandi ts : :Lenora Bobo & ToniBrown Lenor a Bobo and ToniBr own,af f ect i onat el ycal l ed t he TeddyBearBandi t s ar et he s uper her oesbehi nd Cel ebr i t yChar i t yWi s hesand t he Bear sf orBuddi es i ni t i at i ve.The f r i endsand bus i nes spar t ner sj oi ned f or cesi n 2009t o gr antt he wi s h ofa cour ageousyoung l adywho wasbat t l i ng bone canceratLevi ne Chi l dr en’ s Hos pi t al( Char l ot t e,Nor t h Car ol i na) .The or gani zat i on hasbeen power ed byt hei r pas s i on ever ys i nce. Bobo and Br own have del i ver ed s mi l esand hugst o hundr edsofchi l dr en ast hey bat t l e[ pot ent i al l y]t er mi nali l l nes s es .The s mi l esar e del i ver ed vi at he Hi ,Buddy! Packst heypr es entt ot he chi l dr en t o hel p make t hei rs t ayi nt he hos pi t almor e comf or t abl e.The hugscome i nt he f or m oft eddybear s ,handdel i ver ed t ot he young pat i ent st o hel pr ai s et hei rs pi r i t sand pr ovi de comf or tdur i ng t r eat ment . Some oft he t eddybear sar e donat ed,s ome ar es pons or ed and s ome ar e pur chas ed byBobo and Br own.Al lar e gi ven wi t ht he s pi r i t ,hope and s t r engt ht o hel pt he pat i ent sbe vi ct or i ousi nt he t oughes tf i ghtoft hei ryoung l i ves .
2014 Benef i ci ari es
Pr es byt er i an Heal t hcar e and NovantHeal t h exi s tt oi mpr ove t he heal t h ofcommuni t y’ sone per s on ata t i me. Pr es byt er i an HembyChi l dr en’ sHos pi t alof f er spat i ent sr emar kabl e medi ci ne,whi l e of f er i ng par ent speace ofmi nd. Fr om neonat aland pedi at r i ci nt ens i ve car et o a wi de var i et yofpedi at r i cs peci al t i es ,HembyChi l dr en’ sHos pi t ali s s mal lenough t o gi ve pat i ent si ndi vi dual i zed at t ent i on,yetl ar ge enough t o at t r acts ome oft he mos ts ki l l ed doct or s and nur s esi nt he r egi on.
Wher et her ei sa s i ckchi l d who r equi r ess peci f i ct r eat mentata chi l dr en' smedi calf aci l i t y,a Ronal d McDonal d Hous e i sopen t o wel come and comf or tf ami l i esi n need.Fami l i esar es t r ongerwhen t heyar et oget her ,whi ch hel psi nt he heal i ng pr oces s .Bys t ayi ng ata Ronal d McDonal d Hous e,par ent scan al s o bet t ercommuni cat e wi t ht hei rchi l d’ s medi calt eam,and keep up wi t h compl i cat ed t r eat mentpl ansasneeded.The pr i mar ygoalatRonal d McDonal d Hous e ofChar l ot t ei st o pr ovi de f ami l i esa s af e,comf or t abl e and s uppor t i ve envi r onmentwhi l et hei rchi l dr en r ecei ve medi calt r eat mentatnear bymedi calf aci l i t i es .
2014 “OurHearts”Reci pi ents Austi n Sel l s Aus t i n Sel l si sa 6yearol d boy,l egal l ybl i nd,deaf( wi t h hear i ng ai ds ) ,Cer ebr alPal s y( CP) , Hydr ocephal usand ADHD. CP i sus ual l ycaus ed bybr ai n damage t hatoccur sbef or e or dur i ng a chi l d’ sbi r t h,ordur i ng t he f i r s t3t o 5year sofa chi l d’ sl i f e. The br ai n damage t hat l eadst o Cer ebr alPal s ycan al s ol ead t o ot herheal t hi s s ues ,i ncl udi ng vi s i on,hear i ng,s peech pr obl emsand l ear ni ng di s abi l i t i es . Aus t i n hasunder gone t hr ee br ai ns ur ger i esi nt he pas t year ,l os thi shear i ng and s peech i n 2012. Aus t i n’ st hr ee wi s heswoul d be t ot ake a t r ai n r i gde t o Di s neyWor l d,bef or e he l os thi shear i ng Aus t i nl oved l i s t eni ng t o Mi ckeyMous e on t el evi s i on;a weekend atGr eatWol fLodge becaus e he l oveswat erpar ks ;and t o have hi s ver yown l i t t l e pl ayar ea wi t hs wi ngs ,wat ers l i des ,r i de f ourwheel er swi t h hi scous i nsand be i ndependenti n doi ng whathe l oves . He i sa ver yamazi ng l i t t l e boyt hatenj oyst he out door s and does n’ tl ethi sdi s abi l i t i ess t op hi m f r om enj oyi ng l i f e. I n 2013,Aus t i n metMi chel l e Wi l l i amsatt he Ronal d McDonal d Hous e “Bear sf orBuddi es ”and hangson s ot i ght l yt ot he t eddybears he had gi ven t o hi m. Hi smot herbel i evesAus t i n wi l lcher i s ht hatmomentf or t he r es tofhi sl i f e. Hi smot her ’ sdr eam,“Jus tf ormys on Aus t i n and hi sbr ot her st o have a chance t o be abl et oj us tbe l i t t l e boysand have a weekend wi t houtwor r yi ng about anyt hi ng woul d be an amazi ng f eel i ng!Ihope and pr ayone daymyf ami l yi sabl et o gi ve backt ot he communi t yt he wayyou al lhave and ar es t i l ldoi ng. ”
Kyarra Janae McCl el l an Kyar r a Janae McCl el l an wasbor n Sept ember27,2006;s he wasdi agnos ed wi t h Si ckl e Cel l Di s eas e atbi r t h. Si ckl e Cel lDI s eas ei sa chr oni ci l l nes st hatpr es ent si t s el fwi t hs ever e pai n, af f ect st he s pl een and pr event st hos e af f l i ct ed wi t ht he di s eas ef r om f i ght i ng i nf ect i ons . For t he f i r s tf ouryear sofherl i f e,Kyar r a washos pi t al i zed t wi ce mont hl ywi t hs t aysl as t i ng f r om t wo t o 11days . Wi t hi nt he l as tf ew year s ,s he hasbeen hos pi t al i zed f r equent l yand hervi s i t shave been mor es ever e. Kyar r a wast es t ed annual l yf ors ympt omsofs t r oke. The name oft he t es ti s cal l ed Tr ancr ani alDoppl er . She i snow s even,i nt he s econd gr ade and hast ot ake chemot her aphymedi cat i on dai l yf ort he r es tofherl i f e.Kyar r at r i esver yhart o be a nor malchi l d. She enj oysdr es s i ng up,pl ayi ng wi t h dol l s ,get t i ng hernai l spol i s hed,s hoppi ng f orcl ot hes ,dance cl as s es ,and l ovesgymnas t i cs . Kyar r a’ shear t f el twi s hesar et o have a Pr i nces sTi ana bedr oom makeover ,a t r i pt o vi s i tt he Geor gi a Aquar i um and Wor l d ofCoca Col a Touri n At l ant a,and a chance t o meetAr i ana Gr ande ( Si nger& Act r es s ) .I n addi t i on t o Kyar r a’ swi s hes ,an educat i onal s chol ar s hi pi sneeded t o hel pf ur t herhereducat i on atBr i s bane Pr epar at or ySchooli n Char l ot t e, Nor t h Car ol i na. Thr ough i tal l ,Kyar r ar emai nsi n good s pi r i t sand s he i sa f i ght er !