Children at Akron Children's Hospital received a gift ahead of the holidays, thanks to a partnership between the hospital, Build-A-Bear Workshop and the Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

Patients at the hospital were able to get a new teddy bear on December 5 as part of the Hope Foundation's DreamCatchers for Kids program.

The DreamCatchers for Kids program began in 2016, aiming to support and bring joy to children facing life-threatening medical conditions.

From their hospital beds, children could create their own teddy bear, including a name, the clothes the bear would wear and other assorted accessories.

Rey Esparra, a member of the Hope Foundation, says that everything can be done remotely to simulate the experience that the child would have at Build-A-Bear.

"The concept ca

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