A Penhold man is using his 3D printer to make fidget toys and small figurines to help distract or entertain young patients waiting or receiving treatment at Red Deer hospital’s emergency department.
Myles Doupe, who has donated about 50 plastic toys in the last six months, said he will print toys for the department “as long as they need them.”
Doupe built his own printer last summer and can print batches of five to 10 toys at once. The entire process can take about four to 12 hours depending on the toy.
“It doesn’t cost that much to print, and it’s helpful, so I don’t mind.”
He said people can experience very long waits in the emergency department. Fidget toys would really help young children, and probably adults too.
“I have one sitting on my desk I play with on occasion when I need to sit and think about something for a minute.”
Doupe encouraged others to consider donating toys.
“The more, the better. It would be better to have too many than too few.”
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He first heard about the call for toys from his wife Shanna Doupe, who works at Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, which collects the toys on behalf of the emergency department.
Shanna said a registered nurse in emergency approached the foundation for toys about a year ago, at about the same time the foundation made four tablets with kid-friendly games available to the department.
She said the foundation will accept small toys like fidgets and anything that doesn’t have a lot of little pieces that could be dropped on the floor in the emergency department.
“Time in the emergency room, as people already know, is very stressful. It can be stressful for kids. It can be stressful for adults who are taking care of the kids, and it can be stressful both while waiting, but also while procedures are going on,” Shanna said.
For example, while a child has blood drawn from one arm, he or she could focus on a toy or play with a fidget in the opposite hand.
“It really does make a difference.”
She said sometimes books for teens are donated to the foundation which are also given to emergency. Donations of comic books, graphic novels and little note books with pens would be helpful because sometimes teens don’t have access to a cellphone to occupy themselves.
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To donate, or for more information, call Red Deer Regional Health Foundation at 403-343-4773, or drop off donations at the foundation’s office at the hospital Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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