Helping Children Communicate With Creative and Loving Methods

Hello again,

As I continued my journey of creating this heart, it was important that I do research on what was already available.  I found for the most part, the toys currently on the market are forensic dolls used in diagnosing abuse.  Other tools available are finger puppets and sand therapy.  I talked with a friend who is a child psychologist about my vision.  He has been very supportive of my mending heart and the therapeutic toys.  I also spoke with several physician friends and social workers about my endeavor.  They were very encouraging.

Each time I read a tragic story about a child who has been abused, I want to run and hug my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.  How do we protect children from abuse, assault, bullying, and any type of abuse?

It is important for the child who has been traumatized to have hope and so I created these toys with that in mind.   As I designed the mending heart and the plush toy, I knew there needed to be a letter introducing the toy to the child.   Thus, I created the letter to introduce the toy and offer hope to the child.

I also wanted the mending heart and therapeutic toy to be an opportunity for the child to interact with play therapy as well as provide an opportunity to provide other avenues for communication, specifically an alert system.  The child and the therapist, forensic nurse, teacher, parent can establish a system that indicates a signal of distress, a SOS.

Every opportunity to promote healing of children offers a child hope and makes coping with life that much easier.   So my journey continues.

Hello again,

We are embarking on a new year filled with opportunities for change and making a positive difference for us and others.   As you all know when we embark on a journey, whether work or personal, there are opportunities, successes, roadblocks and events which impact and alter our course and plans.  It has been a journey for me as I have created these therapeutic toys for children.

There are many wonderful organizations that help children; but unfortunately, there are so many children that do not receive help because they are afraid to communicate.

When I think of the children who were battered literally to death, it greatly saddens me.  Our system is not able to save everyone as you and I want.  Because of the limited tools available  for the care of children who have been traumatized, I realized that other solutions were needed to help both the children and the provider of care whether it be the physician, psychologist, therapist, social worker, nurse, teacher, or caretaker.

Whenever there is intervention for these children through other services, it seems as if the abuser has a sixth sense that they had better move on before the abuse is proven and the children can be helped.  Then the family disappears, leaving in the middle of the night and there is no saving……  And that is why our company is committed to creating ways for children to communicate to caring responsible adults who have the knowledge, skills and capability to intervene and make a difference to this child so that there can be a safe and loving future for them.

The UNCF has the motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”   I believe each of us can help a child to mend, to be all (s) he is destined to be.  Healing the mind, body, emotions and spirit of children is critical, for them and for us, for our children are our future.  Although the tasks ahead seem difficult and at times overwhelming for each of us, working as a community, the reward of seeing a child receiving help and  leading a normal life makes it all worthwhile in this journey of healing, “mending me.”

So, I started my journey of “what can I do to help all children be safe or at least safer?”  I started seeing this vision of a heart that was broken; but then my vision shifted.   With support and nurturing over time, the child began to heal.  I knew this heart was the symbol for healing; thus I created the mending heart.[1]

I believed there needed to be more than just a heart because this traumatic event, whatever the cause,  impacted the whole child, mind, body, spirit, emotions.  I wanted the child to be able  release their feelings in a safe way.  So, I created three plush toys for the mending heart to reside in.  The hearts are accessible to the child.  The mending toys are plush so the child can hold them close and feel softness, allowing them to cuddle the toy.  It provides an avenue of communication for the child with the provider, counselor, therapist, and or teacher.  It offers another avenue for the child to begin healing, “mending me.”

Stay tuned as I continue to share about my journey.