Meet the Girl Comforting Cancer Patients with Teddy Bears

Oct. 11, 2022 – During the early days of the pandemic, Alivia Gustman, then simply 8 years previous, was in a category tasked with the objective of beginning a enterprise.

For Gustman, this wasn’t the time to pitch a bake sale. Instead, having just lately watched her mother undergo breast most cancers therapy, an concept instantly popped into her thoughts: Why not promote teddy bears to lift cash to assist children with most cancers — or to anybody whose family members are in therapy?

After doing a digital pitch to her Boca Raton, FL, instructor and classmates, the concept broadened when her dad jumped on board and helped construct a web site and safe a trademark.

The consequence: A family-run undertaking and the launch of Cancer Bears, a nonprofit that has already bought greater than 1,000 bears in over 30 states and overseas.

Best of all: Thanks to all of those bears being despatched throughout the nation (and globe), Cancer Bears has raised $30,000 so far and donated these funds to most cancers facilities throughout the nation. In reality, since they began the group, they’ve arrange donation partnerships with Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, and NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center – all places that performed a job in serving to Alivia’s mother – and fashioned an alliance with Keaton’s Child Care Alliance, a nonprofit that gives assist companies to households dealing with a pediatric most cancers prognosis.

So how did a then-third grader make all of this occur?

“Knowing that my mom would be OK motivated me,” says Gustman, now a really busy fifth grader who turns 10 on Oct. 16. “I wanted anybody going through treatment to be able to hold onto something. I thought a bear would be the perfect thing to cuddle with.” 

For Tara Gustman, Alivia’s mother, serving to others is within the household DNA.

“This was such a simple act of kindness that happened during virtual school and right when I was getting back on my feet again,” says Tara, who was recognized with stage II breast most cancers in December 2018 and went by means of a double mastectomy, the removing of 12 lymph nodes, 16 rounds of chemo, and seven weeks of radiation. She’s now been in remission for 4 years.

“The feedback that we get from everybody is remarkable. We can’t wait to continue to make a difference to those in need.”

And, whereas Alivia admits that she’s busy with schoolwork– it’s all about time administration, she says – there’s nothing higher than seeing all the bears lined up and able to be shipped out of her (and her grandparents’) storage.

 

Recently, Alivia and her sister, Savannah, 8, have gotten very busy attaching ribbons to every bear earlier than it’s shipped.

“You can request the ribbon for the person’s cancer – so teal for ovarian, yellow for childhood cancer, and pink for breast cancer,” she says. “My sister is really good at organizing the ribbons.”

Ultimately, that is one household that’s laser-focused on serving to others.

“Every 2 minutes, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and, while that is unfortunate, what we’re doing keeps our entire family motivated,” says Tara. “We’ve become a resource of encouragement in the form of bears and conversation with people in our community. Happily, Alivia’s story keeps getting shared, and the more people know about us, the more we can help others.” 

Ask Alivia and she’ll tell you that being a kid should never be a barrier to rolling up your sleeves.

“Personally, I’d tell other kids to follow their dreams,” she says. “If something motivates you to help others – do it.”