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Nonprofit provides teddy bears for kids with cancer

SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter

Published: December 14, 2017

It’s been more than 20 years since Highland Square resident Ede Bittle first found himself facing a possible cancer diagnosis.

Bittle was 11 at the time and had broken his leg while playing football.

“When his leg was x-rayed they found bone tumors and we thought it was cancer,” said his mother Susan Summerville.

She later found out that her son had McCune-Albright syndrome, a rare disorder that affects the bones, skin and the endocrine system, causing patients to develop areas of abnormal scar-like tissue in their bones as well as other conditions.

“Everyone was relieved it was not cancer,” said Summerville. “But Ede spent a lot of time on the oncology floor of Akron Children’s Hospital. He had plenty of family and friends to visit him and bring him gifts, but the boy across the hall from him did not.

“Ede told me that every sick child should have at least one teddy bear to cheer them up,” she said.

Summerville said she and her son put their heads together and came up with an idea that would turn out to be the start of what’s now known as Project Ed Bear.

“I was very fortunate not to have cancer and I told my mom I wanted to do something to help the kids that did,” said Bittle, co-founder of Project Ed Bear and who is now 34.

“After I was diagnosed with McCune-Albright, we decided to buy ornaments and sell them to raise money to buy teddy bears,” said Bittle.

The money they raised allowed them to give 100 teddy bears to the young cancer patients at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Founded in 1994, today the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization does much more than distribute stuffed bears.

“Most of our work is done for and through children at Akron Children’s Hospital and Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley,” said Summerville. “We recently started working with Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital too.

“We provide gaming systems and games, new movies and laptops, gifts and toys for all the beds on the ward and the clinic at Akron Children’s Hospital,” said Summerville.

On holidays, the children also receive Valentine’s Day bags, Easter baskets and Christmas stockings valued at $100 apiece.

The nonprofit also sponsors an annual Christmas party, pays for birthday and end-of-treatment parties and a yearly trip to Cedar Point.

“In 2003, we paid for the design and decorating of the new clinic at Akron Children’s Hospital that includes an Ed Bear Cave filled with toys and a computer area for the older children,” said Summerville.

Project Ed Bear also funds Camp Ed Bear, a weekend summer camp designed to help kids forget they have cancer, a college scholarship program and Liv Thru Art, which features monthly parties that expose children to different mediums of art.

Most of the programs and gifts are paid for with the proceeds raised at the gala auction, which took place this year on Nov. 27 at Quaker Station.

“The gala is not only a fundraiser, it also gives us a chance to highlight and recognize our children,” said Summerville, who lives in Green with her husband John.

“This year we raised $145,000, which is a record for us,” she said. “I would say that over the years we provided over $1 million worth of toys and services.”

Among those helped by the organization is Cuyahoga Falls resident Heather Vincent.

Two and a half years ago her son Jackson was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.

“We met Susan when Jackson was first admitted to Akron Children’s Hospital,” said Vincent. “Project Ed Bear has been so supportive, showing up with gifts for Jackson and providing activities for him to take part in.

“Jackson is considered to no longer have any evidence of disease,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much the kindness meant to us though.

“Sometimes when you have not seen your child smile in a long time to have someone give him a gift that brings a smile to his face can make you smile and relieve some of the stress.”

“We are very excited about our mission,” said Bittle, manager of brand and visual arts at the Grace Church Bath Township campus. “We plan to continue to do all we can to provide comfort to children with cancer in Northeast Ohio.”

For more information on Project Ed Bear, send an email to susan@projectedbear.org


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