Over 350 children, aged between 4 - 10, brought their sick or injured teddies to the fifth annual RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) Teddy Bear Hospital on Saturday, 2 February and Sunday, 3 February in the College at 123 St Stephen's Green.

Hosted by medical, physiotherapy and pharmacy students in the RCSI Paediatrics Society, this year's Teddy Bear Hospital was the biggest to date. The event is designed to help children to feel comfortable around doctors and hospitals and learn how to stay healthy through diet and exercise.

The session on Sunday is unique in Ireland, designed to host children living with special needs or experiencing chronic illness and their families in a smaller and quieter environment.

Teddy Bear Hospital 2019

Over the course of their hospital visit, children experienced twelve stations created to mirror aspects of a real hospital. Stations focused on triage, X-rays, MRIs, pharmacy, physiotherapy, yoga, heart sounds, handwashing and even a suturing station to help restore any torn teddies.

Children learned about the effects of exercise on the heart rate at the Heart, Dance & Stethoscope station, and student volunteers educated children on the benefits of a good night sleep, regular exercise and a balanced diet, in a safe and fun environment.

All proceeds went to the the children's charity Aoibheann's Pink Tie, which provides meaningful and practical support to children living with cancer and their families.

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.