Phoenix Bears
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About Phoenix Bears
Phoenix Bears creates personalized teddy bears weighted to a baby’s weight, giving parents who have lost a baby a physical connection to hold onto. The organization provides bears, vouchers, and bereavement resources through hospitals, funeral homes, direct requests, and sponsorships for families experiencing financial hardship. Your support helps put these keepsakes and resources into the hands of families facing an immeasurable loss.
Each Phoenix Bear can be weighted to a baby’s exact or requested weight, up to 30 pounds, with optional embroidery and angel wings. Phoenix Bears also offers tiny bears for babies, hospital and funeral home programs, vouchers, and sponsored bears for bereaved parents experiencing financial hardship.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Custom weighted Phoenix Bears
Personalized teddy bears weighted to a baby’s weight, up to 30 pounds, with optional embroidery and angel wings.
Sponsored Phoenix Bears
Weighted comfort bears for bereaved parents experiencing financial hardship, provided through a sponsorship waitlist.
Hospital Phoenix Bears
Weighted bears and tiny bears donated to hospitals for bereaved parents and their babies.
Funeral home bereavement bears
Tiny bears, unweighted or customized bears, and vouchers for funeral homes to provide to bereaved parents.
Phoenix Bears vouchers
Vouchers that allow bereaved parents to receive a personalized Phoenix Bear weighted to their baby’s weight.
Bereavement support and resources
A Facebook support group and a resource list connecting bereaved parents with support organizations, groups, retreats, and materials.
CuddleCot fundraising
Phoenix Bears CARES raises funds to donate a CuddleCot to a hospital, giving bereaved parents more time with their baby.
Hospital bereavement care resources
Resources and materials for healthcare professionals, including hospital sample kits, weighted inserts, bears, and guidance for bereavement care plans.
About this work
Mission
Phoenix Bears provides comfort to parents who have lost their babies through weighted and personalized bears, hospital and funeral home donations, vouchers, and bereavement resources.
Who they serve
Parents who have lost a baby, including bereaved mothers and parents experiencing financial hardship, as well as their families. Phoenix Bears also serves hospitals, healthcare professionals, funeral homes, and funeral home professionals supporting families after baby loss.
Their impact
- A parent reported that a Phoenix Bear weighted to their son’s birth weight brought comfort after his loss at 32 weeks.
How your donation helps
- Creating custom weighted Phoenix Bears for bereaved families on the sponsorship waitlist.
- Donating weighted Phoenix Bears hospital kits to labor and delivery units.
- Providing tiny bears for babies who have died and larger bears for bereaved mothers.
- Covering the cost of a CuddleCot for donation to a hospital.
- Providing baby clothes and bereavement gowns to hospitals and funeral homes.
- Providing Pheeney Bears to hospitals and doctors’ offices for parents experiencing early pregnancy loss.
Need help?
How someone in need can access Phoenix Bears’s services.
Bereaved parents can request a Phoenix Bear through the request forms. Custom bears can be weighted to a baby’s weight up to 30 pounds, and applicants experiencing financial hardship can apply for a sponsored bear. Sponsored bear applicants must have lost a baby, live at a United States shipping address, belong to the Phoenix Bears Facebook Support Group, and not already have a weighted comfort bear for that baby. Parents can also contact Phoenix Bears at info@phoenixbears.org or use the Facebook support group and listed resources for support.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
“When I held it in my arms I felt like I was holding my son again.”
“Having something tangible to honor them and to hold is so great.”
“Nothing will ever bring our son back, but this is one of the few things we have to honor him and we will forever cherish it.”
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Phoenix Bears has shared.
Current needs
- Funding for a CuddleCot to donate to a hospital.
- Seamstresses to sew bear inserts and blankets.
- Volunteers to cut new flannel material for weighted bear inserts.
- New flannel material that is clean, odor-free, stain-free, and from a smoke-free environment.
- Crocheted or knitted micro preemie, preemie, and newborn hats with teddy bear ears.
- Small pastel blankets to attach to Phoenix Bears.
- Brand-new, odor-free baby clothes in requested sizes and styles.
- Financial gifts through PayPal.
- Donations of Phoenix Bears in memory or honor of loved ones.
Volunteer opportunities
- Comfort Creator volunteers sew, weight, detail, pack, photograph, and ship Phoenix Bears according to organizational instructions.
- Seamstresses can sew inserts and blankets using their own sewing machine in a smoke-free environment.
- Volunteers can cut flannel inserts for weighted Phoenix Bears.
- People can crochet or knit baby hats with teddy bear ears and small blankets.
- People can donate new flannel material, baby clothes, bereavement gowns, hats, and blankets.
Recognition & press
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How heavy can a requested Phoenix Bear be?
Phoenix Bears can be weighted to a baby’s weight, up to 30 pounds. Bears over 12 pounds may require the family to purchase a base bear from the organization’s Amazon wish list.
Who can apply for a sponsored Phoenix Bear?
A bereaved parent who has lost a baby may apply if they live at a United States shipping address, belong to the Phoenix Bears Facebook Support Group, and do not already have a weighted comfort bear for that baby. Sponsorship depends on available donations.
What is included in a hospital Phoenix Bears kit?
A hospital kit includes one large bear, one small bear, a weight kit, four bears for babies, and tags identifying the baby in whose memory the kit was donated.
How do hospitals and funeral homes work with Phoenix Bears?
Hospitals and funeral homes can add Phoenix Bears to their bereavement care plans. They can provide weighted or tiny bears directly, distribute vouchers, or ask about sample kits and facility programs.
Are Phoenix Bears available outside the United States?
Yes. Phoenix Bears has a separate international request process. International recipients pay shipping and any fees charged by their country. Glass beads may be used instead of sand where required by customs.
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