Ella Casano was just seven years old when she learned she had a rare blood disorder called ITP. Her body’s immune system attacks her platelets by mistake. Platelets are tiny cell fragments in the blood. They clump to make a blood clot when the body is bleeding. 

Miss Casano must get help quickly if she is injured. She could bleed too much. Most kids grow out of ITP within a few months. But her case has never gone away. 

The good news is: There’s treatment for the disorder. The bad news is: That treatment involved needles and tubes throughout Ella’s childhood. 

She had to have IV infusions every six to eight weeks for seven years. She says on her website that the first time she had an infusion, she was alarmed. She did not expect to see so much tubing and medical equipment on her IV pole.

She quickly realized that she was not alone. IV poles frighten many children. Ella wondered about ways to help other kids be less anxious around them.

Ella was in fifth grade when her school held an Invention Convention. She grabbed a stuffed animal and some hot glue. She placed a mesh sack on the back of a plush teddy bear. Then she put a loop on the bear’s head. 

Medical staffers could slip a patient’s IV bag into the sack. The loop attached to an IV pole, and the bear’s smiling face greeted patients. Nurses were impressed when they saw Ella’s creation. She called it the Medi Teddy IV Cover. 

Why? God can use scary moments in our lives to help us gain compassion and to come up with ideas that bless others. 

Recommended Reading: For more about inventors and their creations, read DK's Inventions: A Visual Encyclopedia.