One of the most popular items at a charity auction for Shriners Children’s Ohio was inspired by a popular child’s toy and hospital mascot: a teddy bear.

Heidi Burroughs wanted something special to donate for the Champaign County Shrine Club’s fundraiser, where her husband Ty Burroughs is a noble. So she turned to her daughter, Kali Henry.

“She’s been crocheting since she was 6 years old and I had this thought she could make something unique,” Heidi recalled. The idea came to her while watching a commercial for Shriners Children’s.

“I saw the Fezzy blanket and knew a bear was a perfect fit,” she said.

Kali got right to work and devoted an entire day to crochet the bear. On the day of the auction, Heidi and Kali weren’t expecting the bear to be a high-priced item, but they were wrong.

“The auctioneer had the bear and the bids just kept coming,” Heidi said.

The final bid came in at $1,060.

“We were in shock and so excited,” she recalled.

Heidi says supporting the Shrine and the hospital has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.

“I used to be a firefighter so I’ve seen what happens when people get hurt in a fire,” she explained. “I’ve also seen the level of care Shriners provides so helping support that in a small way gives me peace of mind.”

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About Shriners Children’s Ohio

Located in Dayton, our experienced, compassionate team brings hope and healing. We are driven to make lives richer, easier and less complex for children and their families throughout Ohio, the Midwest, the Southeast and around the world.

At Shriners Children’s Ohio, we have a team of physicians and specialists who are highly-trained and experienced in pediatric burn care. We treat children with a variety of different burn injuries ranging from mild to severe. Other specialties at our facility include cleft lip and palate care, treatment for complex wound and skin conditions, and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Comprehensive care includes:

• A hospital within a hospital in Dayton, Ohio with access to all needed services for pediatric care.

• Offering life-changing care to children and families, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status

• Providing expert pediatric burn and plastic surgery care in Ohio since 1964 and care for patients from 28 states and 35 countries.

• Wrap-around care to ensure your child thrives at the hospital, home, school or in their community.

• Transportation and housing assistance, so distance is never an issue.

• Care coordinator assigned to each family to offer counseling, support and financial and housing assistance.

• Child life program supports the patients’ emotional, developmental and social needs.

• Access to nearly 1,200 physicians as part of one of the largest pediatric specialty healthcare systems in the world.

• Board-certified pediatric burn and plastic surgeons

• Intensive inpatient and outpatient physical and occupational therapies

• 7 bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

• 6 Day Surgery Rooms

• 4 Clinic Exam Rooms

• State-of-the-Art Surgical Suite

• Numerous Press Ganey awards for patient satisfaction.

Pediatric specialties:

• Burn injuries large or small – plus burn reconstruction and rehabilitation

• Plastics and reconstructive surgeries

• Cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial issues

• Congenital malformations including ear deformities, hand deformities, nevus, port wine stains and other birthmarks, breast reductions

• Scar revision from post-trauma injuries including dog bites, lawnmower accidents and skid-related injuries

• Other skin or wound conditions

What our families say:

• “We would not be where we are now had it not been for Shriners. They literally brought my son back to life. And then got him to where he is now.”

• “You can’t get better care anywhere else than Shriners. They’ve just been with us every step of the way and do everything they can to make their patients’ lives better.”

• “We didn’t expect to have such amazing nurses and doctors, but when we found Shriners and how they treated us as a family, it just was life changing. It is truly life changing. Not only for her but also for all of us. It has made all the difference in her recovery and in our life.”

How to reach us:

• Shriners Children’s Ohio is located at One Children’s Plaza – 2 West, Dayton, Ohio, 45404, operating within Dayton Children’s Hospital

• For general information, to make an appointment or referral, call 855-206-2096 or visit shrinersohio.org.

• To learn more about how to support our mission, visit ohiolovetotherescue.org or call 513-872-6029

Information for this story provided by Shriners Children’s Ohio.