I❤BEARHUGS
Siena Caterina Smith was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 8, 2011. On Siena’s first birthday, she travelled to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she underwent heart surgery at the B.C. Children’s Hospital to correct her congenital heart defect. While she was there, she received a teddy bear, which she named "Luna".
In 2021, at 10 years old, Siena started I❤bearhugs in Winnipeg, Manitoba to ensure that every child from the Province of Manitoba who travels out of province for heart surgery receives their own teddy bear.
Siena has collected more than 800 teddy bears, which have been delivered to the Travis Price Children’s Heart Centre in Winnipeg and the Champs Camp in Saskatoon for distribution.
Siena is currently a grade 7 student and resides in East St. Paul, Manitoba, with her incredibly proud parents, Mark and Sabrina Smith, and her biggest fan, "Tiego", her labradoodle.
If you would like to donate a new teddy bear to Siena’s I❤bearhugs fundraiser, or if you would like to donate money so that Siena can purchase more teddy bears or items needed to support Manitoba heart families please contact: ilovebearhugs@shaw.ca
IN THE NEWS
Children's Hospital Foundation sponsor for the Winnipeg Ice Teddy Bear Toss hockey game
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
HTTPS://WWW.WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM/ARTS-AND-LIFE/LIFE/2022/08/08/LITTLE-THINGS-BIG-IMPACT
QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE MEDAL RECOGNITION: RAQUEL DANCHO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT KILDONAN—ST. PAUL
SENDING BIG BEAR HUGS TO SIENA FOR RECEIVING THE QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE MEDAL FOR HER PHILANTHROPY WORK BY PROVIDING BEARS TO CHILDREN WHO TRAVEL OUT OF PROVINCE FOR HEART SURGERY.
MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
PRIVATE MEMBERS STATEMENT RECOGNITION FROM: THE HONOURABLE HEATHER STEFANSON, PREMIER OF MANITOBA AND MINISTER JEFF WHARTON, MLA RED RIVER NORTH
IN JULY 2022, SIENA WAS HONOURED TO BE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHILDREN'S HEALTHY-HEART ACTIVITY MONITORING PROGRAM SASKATCHEWAN ("CHAMPS") CAMP IN SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN. CHAMPS OFFER KIDS AGED 7 TO 17 IN THE PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN WITH CONGENITAL HEART CONDITIONS A SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE.
OVER 200 TEDDY BEARS WERE COLLECTED TO SUPPORT THE SASKATCHEWAN HEART HEROES.
HTTPS://SASKATOON.CTVNEWS.CA/MOBILE/I-VE-NEVER-MET-ANOTHER-HEART-CHILD-BEFORE-KIDS-WITH-HEART-DISEASE-FIND-COMMUNITY-AT-SASK-SUMMER-CAMP-1.5978441?CACHE=YES?CLIPID=89750
OVER 300 TEDDY BEARS WERE PRESENTED TO DR. SONI, HEAD, PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY, TRAVIS PRICE CHILDREN’S HEART CENTRE.
