Going to the doctor or hospital can be a scary experience for a child.

They may have to get a shot, an X-ray or even undergo surgery.

To help ease children’s fears about medical appointments and procedures, Schneck Medical Center in Seymour recently partnered with Girls Inc. of Jackson County for a unique and fun opportunity called the Teddy Bear Clinic.

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On Sunday afternoon, 160 children filed through Girls Inc. to learn about medical checkups and procedures and common medical equipment they may have seen, such as stethoscopes, which are used to hear a patient’s heartbeat, and otoscopes, which are used to look into their ears.

Children ages 3 to 10 were able to gain a better understanding of what doctors, nurses and radiologists do on a daily basis to help patients feel better.

“Receiving care can be a scary time for a child,” said Natalie Harpe, events coordinator for Schneck. “The Teddy Bear Clinic was a fun opportunity for children to understand basic health care treatments, become more familiar with health care professionals and feel less anxious when they go to the doctor.”

All participants received a free teddy bear or could bring their own stuffed animal to get checked out.

Schneck staff members were set up at different stations to help kids take care of their teddy bears. Each child was able to give their patient a checkup, take an X-ray, fix Teddy’s broken arm, take him to surgery and more.

There also was information and activities on making healthy choices about diet and exercise for Teddy and themselves.

The idea for the program came from Dr. Emanuel E. Nearing II, who joined the Schneck Surgical Associates staff in August 2017.

The Seymour Police Department and Jackson County Emergency Medical Services were on hand to teach kids what happens when they dial 911 and to hand out free activity books and child safety kits.

Tonja Couch of Seymour brought her two young daughters, Hope, 6, and Faith, 4, to the inaugural event.

“The Teddy Bear Clinic was a great way to prepare my kids for why it’s important to be healthy and what they could experience at the hospital if they get sick,” she said.

It also provided an opportunity for the family to talk about future careers for the girls.

“Hope and I talked a lot about the people who were teaching them and how what they were teaching was a part of their job,” she said.

Hope said sending her teddy bear to surgery was her favorite activity. The children scrubbed in, wearing gowns, face masks, gloves and surgical caps for the experience.

“Surgery was the best part because we got to wear funny hats and dress up,” she said.

Instead of a teddy bear, Faith brought her stuffed unicorn to Sunday’s clinic.

At one station, she gave the unicorn, named Bealee, a breathing treatment. Putting the respiratory mask on Bealee was fun, she said.

Afterwards, Hope said the Teddy Bear Clinic made her less worried about needing a trip to the hospital.

“It made me feel better (about going) to the hospital,” she said. “It helped me know what I would have to do if I got sick or broke something.”

Susie Bowman of Seymour said her granddaughter, Delaney Hamm, 8, had a great time at the Teddy Bear Clinic and learned a lot.

“The kids loved the hands-on experience administering shots, checking heart rate, giving breathing treatments and so much more,” Bowman said. “The staff was awesome. Schneck went above and beyond to make this a fun experience for the kids.”

Delaney said she liked the clinic because it made her feel like a doctor and made her more comfortable about going to the hospital.

“The best part was when I got to bandage up my teddy bear’s leg like it was in a cast,” she said.

Linda Larson of Seymour said the clinic was a great program for families.

“I liked that all the stations were detailed and very interactive,” she said. “I was surprised to see they had a phlebotomy table. All the children we saw there were very interested.”

Her 3-year-old daughter, Alice, was most excited about performing surgery on her teddy bear.

“They put the mask, gloves, hairnet and coat on her and she just kept saying ‘Mommy, I’m a doctor,’” Linda said. “I was extremely happy to have a free activity to take my daughter to in town that she could learn and experience something new.”

Schneck employee Kylinda Williams of Seymour said she thought the program was amazing and her daughters, Avery, 9, and Ansley, 2, both loved it.

“I thought it was such a great idea,” Kylinda said. “My daughter doesn’t like shots and has never been to the hospital as a patient. I hoped this would make her more educated of what to expect.”

Avery said her favorite procedure during the event was at the radiology station.

“We got to sit our teddy bear in front of a box and pretend to take an X-ray, and then they gave us a real X-ray picture of our bear,” she said.

Ansley liked the orthopedics station, where she wrapped her teddy bear’s arm in a cast and signed it.

Both girls said they also liked getting dressed up in the surgery gear and seeing their bears have pretend surgery.

Kylinda applauded the efforts of those who took the time to organize and put on the event for the community.

“They put a lot of time and detail into it,” she said. “A lot of employees participated to make it so successful.”