The PrayerBears program at Cook Children’s is celebrating 25 years of giving spiritual and emotional support one cuddle at a time to patients admitted to the Medical Center. It’s a milestone birthday for a beloved aspect of our Spiritual Care department.

The Prayer Bear Program functions as an important link between our community, patient families, and our Spiritual Care department — a link not based upon religion, denomination, spirituality, or personal belief, but a link that names the sacredness of every single child who enters our care. Spiritual Care nurtures the spirit of Cook Children’s…and nothing better nurtures the spirit of a child, especially a child who is sick or injured, than receiving a PrayerBear.

Interfaith ministry specialist Robin “Mama Bear” Brazell and volunteers gave away 16,955 Prayer Bears in 2022. They are a source of encouragement to patients and families of every faith, including those with no ascribed faith. The gift of a Prayer Bear bridges cultural and religious differences, making another point of connection with the children we serve.

A Prayer Bear is often the first contact the Spiritual Care department makes with families. It opens the door for support from our chaplains if desired.

Funding for the Prayer Bear program comes from donors including faith communities, community groups and former patients who cherish their own PrayerBears so much that they want to make sure the 25-year Prayer Bear tradition continues for others.

Book: PrayerBear's Big Adventure

The book PrayerBear’s Big Adventure accompanies each PrayerBear and is an inclusive story that highlights the spiritual value of hope over any particular dogma.  This allows for patient families of every faith tradition and spiritual background to find value in the story while also highlighting other patient engagement opportunities like the Child Life Zone, Bomar Library, and the Erma Lowe Chapel.

For our Spanish-speaking patient families, we provide supplemental information about support services which, in turn, helps to break through potential barriers by affirming the worth of our Spanish-speaking population.

Placed inside each book is a prayer card that invites patient families to add their child’s name to a HIPAA-compliant prayer list that is distributed to hundreds of people and organizations each week.

The design of the book was specifically chosen with our Behavioral Health patients in mind, using materials that cannot be taken apart or used in acts of self-harm.

The combination of a patient family receiving a Prayer Bear and PrayerBear’s Big Adventure allows families to know the origin of the gift of their Prayer Bear, eliciting surprise, joy, and a sense of community.

The Prayer Ministry provides opportunities for patient families to share their burden which nourishes spirits and instills hope.

National Teddy Bear Day is Sept. 9.  We're celebrating in a BEARY special way for this patient tradition at Cook Children's.

In July, the Cook Children's Spiritual Care team called on the community to restock the prayer bear den. As of Sept. 8, the den has more than 3,200 additional prayer bears thanks to our generous community.

Prayer bears are a way to remind patients that they are not alone. The Spiritual Care team gives out over 300 bears per week at the Medical Center. These bears are given to patients who need encouragement or support after a painful procedure, during a lengthy hospital stay or during difficult times.

Many congregations and community organizations participate in the interfaith ministry's PrayerBear program. New toy teddy bears of all shapes, sizes and colors are blessed during worship services, then they are delivered to medical center chaplains. 

Would you like to get involved? All bears must be new, with no scent, and with no words/logos. Email prayerbear@cookchildrens.org or donate at giving.cookchildrens.org.

Just like my patients' moms I have lived all of the small daily rituals, frustrations and love that is being a mom. I know that it has made me a better pediatrician and will continue to do so.

I am a better pediatrician because I have experienced life as a mom. I know the tears and tiredness of a new mom and so when she cries at the new baby check I can tell her it's normal and she believes me. I have lived with picky eater and so can give realistic plans for parents to overcome it. Siblings fighting is a weekly event in my home and so I can help with strategies for everyone to get along. I have seen my child limp for days and wondered if it is some terrible illness and so when a mom brings in her child with leg pain I understand what her deepest fear is.

It is all of these and the hundreds of other mom experiences that give me empathy for the moms of my patients. It has made being pro-mom one of my overarching themes in practice.

Remember, on Mother's Day to go and look at your children while they are sleeping. It gives you an immediate feeling of love and peace. Thank you to all the moms that trust me to care for their children.

Happy Mothers Day.

Dr C