This all started because of a 3-year-old boy with a brain implant. His mum asked me if I could make a teddy shunt valve, so his teddy could have a brain implant just like him. My heart stopped. I researched the implant, made the toy, shared this on Facebook and then the parents of over 100 children with brain implants asked if I could make a toy for their child.
Realising I needed to help these vulnerable children, I decided to stop everything, learn about toy safety, and get my teddy shunt valve to a lab. I refined the design to remove the sharp edges, scaled it so it wasn’t a choking hazard, and had a lab certify it as a safe toy. I managed to get these made and shipped in time for the children to get a teddy on Christmas day 2020.
I started getting requests for children with other conditions. Can I make a teddy with a peg feed? Can I make a teddy with a foot splint? Can I make a teddy bear dialysis machine? Can I make a teddy tracheostomy? Can I make a teddy with a pace maker? Can I make a teddy oxygen bottle, glasses, eye patch, hearing aid, cochlear implant. The answer was yes, and I did.
We are ever grateful for the dedicated team of volunteers we have at 3D Toyshop. Nick has 8 volunteers working endlessly to create that special teddy with love and care. They spend time attaching the 3D-printed toys, sowing the stitches to create surgery scars to match their new owner, dressing them in gowns and boxing them up ready to be sent to their forever home.
Look at our heartwarming video as we collaborated with Lewis Capaldi to show our furry friends’ impact on our customers.
The video shows the behind the scenes and Nick’s story of 3D Toyshop.
