Stuffed Animals Sought to Comfort Young Hospital Patients

The soft, colorful pile of stuffed cats, dogs and bears crowding the donation boxes at in Macomb Township can mean only one thing. It‘s time to support the annual stuffed animals collection drive in memory of Erin T.M. Patton.

Now in its 10th year, the drive to collect stuffed animals for patients at Children’s Hospital in Detroit is in full swing and will conclude on Oct. 1. Donations of new stuffed animals can be dropped off at Cobblestone as well as McKernan Chiropractic in Shelby Township.

The idea to offer other sick children comfort in the form of a stuffed animal came about for Clifford and Tammy Patton when their baby girl passed away following heart surgery at Children’s Hospital in 2001.

“Erin was born at St. John’s Hospital and they gave her a panda bear for the ambulance ride when she was transferred to Children’s Hospital,” Tammy Patton said. “Then she got another bear when she went into surgery at Children’s and we have those as something to cherish in her memory now, so that gave us the idea for the stuffed animal drive each year.”

Beverly Teno, the office manager at Cobblestone Ridge Dentistry, said at first it was only staff donating stuffed animals to the Pattons, who are patients at the office, but Cobblestone is pleased to now be a drop-off point for the public as well.

“The only real rule we have for donating the stuffed animals is that they be new,” Tammy Patton said. “People will say, ‘But mine have been kept in plastic bags,’ and we do appreciate the gesture but we have to say no because these are going to sick children so they must be brand new.”

Remember Erin Each October

Tammy Patton was five-and-a-half months pregnant when she was first told her baby had a heart defect. When Erin was born on Sept. 18, 2001, several more heart defects, including an enlarged heart and a severely leaking valve, were discovered.

“They said one defect was one thing but having one child with four defects was very, very, difficult,” Tammy Patton said.

After spending her first 14 days of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital, baby Erin underwent surgery but passed away two days later on Oct. 4, 2001.

Gathering up all the stuffed animal donations each October, including those from family and friends, the Pattons make a trip downtown to drop them off at the pastoral care office at Children’s Hospital. This year they also added St. John’s NICU and PICU to their donor list so they hope donations are plentiful.

“If we say doing this makes things easier at the anniversary, well, that isn’t exactly right, but it helps us get through that day,” Tammy Patton said.

Today, the “us” includes the Pattons, who live in Clinton Township, and their five other children who embrace the project in memory of their sister. 

To donate a stuffed animal in memory of Erin T.M. Patton, stop by Cobblestone Ridge Dentistry at 16800 24 Mile Road, Suite 5, in Macomb Township, or McKernan Chiropractic at 50544 Schoenherr Road in Shelby Township.

For additional information about the drive call Tammy Patton at 313-215-8053.