Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Battling cancer can be a scary experience for anyone.
But for children, the process may be even more so than for an adult.
The Grouchy Bear Foundation has found a way to help make the battle just a little less scary and more comfortable for children - by providing them with a Gund Bear.
"We started (the Foundation) in May 2000 officially. What it is is a foundation where we give these Gund Bears to any child who is diagnosed or who has relapsed with cancer," said Dan Purkey, Rochester, who started the Foundation with his wife, Brenda, and their family. "We started it because my son, Kenny, had cancer. He was diagnosed March 4, 1999, with Ewing Sarcoma, which is a bone cancer. It hits kids generally age 2 to 20. There are variations. It's mostly in boys and usually in the 8- to 12 year range. It can be in girls."
The idea behind the bear came from Kenny and his brother, Austin.
When Kenny was diagnosed with the cancer, a third grade class in Rochester gave him a bear. He and his brother Austin were playing and decided the bear looked grouchy, Dan said. The two made up a storyline for the bear where the bear liked pain and everything bad. It liked shots. It liked getting thrown up on because the bear got to ride in the washing machine. The bear has his own distinct voice and character.
"He was ornery to the nurses," said Dan. "When Kenny was kind of grumpy and everything, this bear would be grumpy and Kenny wouldn't be. I tell people it's like a puppeteer." Whereas the puppeteer might be a quiet, shy person, the puppet itself would be loud and obnoxious.
Dan said, "A lot of the kids going through with us, who we were going through treatment with, they would see Kenny kicking the bear around or hanging it off the IV pole or using it as a football and the bear would laugh, in his own voice. (Kenny) would do its voice." The other kids would laugh and wanted one.
Dan and Brenda bought bears for the other children they got to know while Kenny was undergoing treatment. "We thought they needed one, so we got them one," said Dan.
The Grouchy Bear could undergo radiation treatment with Kenny when no one else could. "It took on its own personality. If he hurt real bad, he'd just squeeze the bear. It would do everything. Every place Kenny went, the bear would go too," said Dan. "These other kids saw that and how he interacted with the bear and they seemed interested in that. My wife and I started giving them out randomly."
Brenda and Dan wanted to do more and give back to everyone who helped them and make it personal. While watching Kenny interact with the bear, they thought of The Grouchy Bear Foundation.
A board was formed to start the Foundation. Though Dan said they couldn't find any lawyers locally to assist in starting the foundation for free, an Indianapolis lawyer directed them to a Web site to help them get started. Brenda did all paperwork to make the Foundation a not-for-profit organization and incorporated for a total of $180. Brenda and Dan bought the first two loads of bears themselves. Board members and others helped keep the foundation going until they had their 501C3.
"After that, we just wanted to raise enough money to handle Riley's (Children Hospital)," said Dan. "We thought it would be neat to go bigger but we thought, let's just try to do it that way."
The interest in the bears and the Foundation grew. At the end of 2000, the board reviewed their work and decided to expand.
"We doubled in size," said Dan.
This year, they will give away more than 300 bears to children.
Other foundations have been supportive of The Grouchy Bear Foundation. The Biomet Foundation and the Northern Indiana Community Foundation out of Fulton County gave them grants. The rest of the funds have came from individuals and organizations like the Optimist Club, Warsaw.
"We've been able to give out 15 to 20 bears" outside of Indiana said Dan. The bears have been given out in California, Saint Louis, Vermont, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Many people have found out about the Foundation through its Web site, www.rtcol.com/ grouchybear
The organization also tries to help parents find out answers about cancer and the treatment process their children are undergoing.
Each bear, including shipping and handling, costs the organization $20 to $24 and comes with a custom-made tag which explains how the bear came about and what the bear is for.
The Gund Co., New Jersey, that makes the bear, has offered to produce a bear especially for the Foundation. However, the organization must first raise $50,000 for the process to begin, which will also provide the Foundation with 5,000 of the bears. Kenny will work with the company to design the bear. They hope to reach that goal by the end of the year.
"We want our Foundation to be positive," said Dan. "We don't want anything negative."
To contact the Foundation, call 223-8783, check their Internet site at www.rtcol.com/grouchybear or write to The Grouchy Bear Foundation, 513 W. 5th St., Rochester, Ind. 46975.
