A Heartbeat to Hold: Bringing Comfort to Valleywise Health Families
Sometimes, comfort can come from something as simple as the sound of a heartbeat.
A new program at Valleywise Health is helping patients and families hold onto that sound during some of life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. Heartbeat Bears are stuffed animals containing a short recording of a patient’s heartbeat. With a squeeze of the bear, loved ones can hear it again and again.
Thanks to support from Smith Chason College and Valleywise Health Foundation, the program is now preparing to expand across Valleywise Health, bringing this meaningful source of comfort to more patients and families.
“We are proud to partner with Valleywise Health Foundation to support the Heartbeat Bear Program and the families it serves,” said Sophia Perkovich, Campus Director of Smith-Chason College Phoenix Campus. “Healthcare is rooted in compassion, human connection, and caring for others from the heart. This program provides families with a deeply meaningful way to preserve the memory of a loved one and carry that connection with them.”
The idea came from Valleywise Health employee Brett La Rouche, who remembered an experience from years earlier, when he and his wife were expecting their youngest daughter. During an ultrasound, they purchased stuffed animals containing their baby’s heartbeat as gifts for the grandmothers.
Years later, Brett found himself thinking about those bears again.
“I started wondering if the same idea could be used in a hospital setting,” Brett said. “I did some research and thought, why can’t we do something like this here?”
He submitted the idea through Valleywise Health’s Bright Ideas program and began working with nursing leadership and teams across the health system to bring it to life.
Comfort When It Matters Most
Heartbeat Bears can be offered to families facing a variety of serious or uncertain medical situations, including critical illness, severe burns or trauma. Care team members who know their patients and families best can help identify when a bear could provide an added source of comfort and connection.
“My goal is for it to be something that provides comfort to the family during a difficult time,” Brett said. “They can squeeze the bear, hear that heartbeat again, and feel connected to their loved one.”
To create each bear, Valleywise Health’s Echo team captures approximately 15 to 20 seconds of the patient’s heartbeat and records it onto a small device placed inside the stuffed animal. Ultrasound technologists can also assist after hours, helping make the program available around the clock.
For Brett, Heartbeat Bears are another example of what exceptional care can look like at Valleywise Health.
“Exceptional care is about more than caring for the patient’s medical needs,” he said. “It’s also about looking at the family and finding ways to provide comfort during a difficult time.”
It’s a small gesture with the potential to make a meaningful difference, giving families something tangible to hold onto when they need comfort most.
Help Bring Comfort to Valleywise Health Families
Your generosity helps make thoughtful programs like Heartbeat Bears possible. Donate today to support compassionate, patient-centered care for Valleywise Health patients and families.