Our Pediatric Patients Get a Helping Paw Thanks to the Lion’s Club

Being admitted to the hospital can be a difficult experience for all patients. There’s a lot of uncertainty and fear that can go along with being in a strange place when you’re not feeling the best. At times like these, it’s important to have a friend by your side–especially a courageous, fluffy, loyal friend like Lennie the Lion, the Confluence Health Foundation’s newest snuggle buddy!

Snuggle buddies are plush stuffed animals that pediatric patients receive when they are admitted to Central Washington Hospital. They help reduce the stress and uncertainty of their stay, and, best of all, kids can take their new friend home with them after their visit.

The Snuggle Buddies program was created by Adele Haley, Expression’s Gift Shop Manager, and is made possible by gifts from local service clubs. Since the program launched, we have been able to provide approximately 200 children under the age of 16 with snuggle buddies each year.

Recently, the local Lion’s Club chapter made a generous donation to help sustain the program through 2022. Fittingly, Adele selected Lennie as this year’s face of the program. Lions are symbolic of strength, bravery, and protection. You might agree that Lennie is also quite adorable!

The Foundation is so grateful to the Lion’s Club for their ongoing support of Snuggle Buddies. Programs like these help our medical providers bring smiles to the faces of our patients and their families.