Teddy Bears and Insulin Pumps: Teaching Kids Diabetes With Rufus

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Fifteen kids with diabetes sat down in a Michigan hospital this summer, each with a stuffed bear on the table in front of them. As reported by healthbeat.spectrumhealth.org, the Saturday morning gathering was a hands-on class designed to take the fear out of daily diabetes care.

Each bear came equipped with patches marking where an insulin pump could attach, where a sensor might sit, and where a needle could land. The point was simple. Practice on the bear first, and the real thing on your own body feels less like a crisis the next time.

What happened

• About 15 children with diabetes took part in the Teddy Bear Clinic.
• The session was organized by the Children's Diabetes Research Foundation working with Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Michigan.
• Every child got a Rufus teddy bear to use as a stand-in patient.
• Kids walked through attaching an insulin pump, testing blood sugar, and giving injections on the bear before doing it on themselves.
• Registered dietitian Sara Koepke ran a station on balanced meals built around vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein.
• Dr. Nader Kasim, a pediatric endocrinology (the medical specialty focused on hormone-related conditions in children) physician, led the pump demonstration.

Why the teddy bear works

Kids learn by playing, and the Rufus bear gives them something to practice on that cannot be hurt, cannot cry, and cannot flinch. The patch on the bear's body shows exactly where a continuous glucose monitor (a small wearable sensor that tracks blood sugar throughout the day) or pump cannula (the tiny inserted tube that delivers insulin under the skin) might go on their own skin. When a 7-year-old attaches a practice pump to a bear, the next clinic visit feels familiar instead of new. That small shift is not small at all.

What the kids actually did

The children rotated between learning stations. At one, Dr. Kasim walked them through connecting a diabetic pump to the bear. At another, 5-year-old Jason and his mother Samantha worked through injections and glucose testing together. At a third, Koepke showed how to build a plate that supports stable blood sugar. Each child left with a bag of toys, bears, and games, plus a scorecard stamped at every station. By the end of the morning they held diplomas naming them official Rufus caretakers.

The social side matters as much as the medical side

Kasim told the outlet the goal is to keep kids engaged. He said he hoped the children would feel more comfortable with their diabetes by the end of the session, and that they would choose for themselves who they want to be with diabetes. That last part is underrated. Diabetes is relentless, and meeting peers who are managing the same thing reframes it from "my weird body" to shared condition.

Our analysis

Pediatric diabetes education lives or dies on repetition and emotion. Clinics like this one work because they teach the technical skill, from where the pump goes to what a balanced plate looks like, in an emotional register that feels safe. That combination is hard to fake with a pamphlet handed over in a waiting room.

What to watch. First, whether more pediatric endocrinology programs adopt peer-based learning for newly diagnosed kids. Second, how insurance reimburses the time clinical staff spend on education rather than just procedures. Third, whether school nurses get the same kind of hands-on rehearsal, since they are often the next line of support during a school day.

Say you are the parent of a newly diagnosed 6-year-old

Say your child was diagnosed two weeks ago and the equipment is still intimidating. Before the next endocrinology visit, set up a stuffed animal at home. Walk through the same steps the clinic used. Attach a practice sensor, demonstrate an injection on the bear, talk through what a healthy plate looks like, and let your child teach the bear. The repetition helps them, and the role reversal helps you.

What to watch next

Bottom line. Hands-on, low-stakes practice is the cheapest and most effective teaching tool pediatric medicine has. Watch for more programs that build education around play. Watch for coverage that pays the education visit as generously as the procedure. And watch your own kid, because the most useful thing they leave with is the sense that they are not the only one.

Key takeaways

• The Teddy Bear Clinic hosted about 15 kids at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
• Kids practiced pumps, injections, and glucose testing on Rufus bears first.
• Peer connection was a deliberate goal, not a side benefit.
• A registered dietitian ran a station on balanced meals for stable blood sugar.