The grateful parents of a pediatric patient have created the Glogau Teddy Bear Rescue Fund to provide toys, hotel vouchers and other amenities for needy children and their families at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Dr. Richard Glogau, a dermatologist and retired clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, and Dr. Pamela Baj, a nursing professor at San Francisco State University, established the fund to show their appreciation for the excellent care their son received.
Their son, Gordon, was born in 1989 with severe orthopedic problems, underwent two surgeries, several casts, braces and physical therapy. After playing baseball in high school, he graduated from UC Berkeley and began working as an investment banker. Today, he works in strategic business development and lives in San Francisco where he is a lifelong Giants fan. Over the years Dr. Baj and Gordon have met with parents of children born with similar orthopedic conditions to share their experience and positive outcome. “I am so grateful for the excellent care my son received,” Dr. Baj said. “We had a fantastic experience
While their son was hospitalized, Dr. Baj and Dr. Glogau met many families who traveled long distances for the specialized treatment provided at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. These families incurred expenses including transportation, parking fees, meals and hotel costs as well as other special needs during prolonged hospitalizations of their children Special requests can be met, for example, a camera that a child could use during long periods of surgery and rehabilitation or a tutor for a child that needs remedial help so as not to fall behind in school. These are things not covered by any insurance but which may be critical to a child’s recovery. The Glogau Teddy Bear Rescue Fund is intended to assist needy families with these small but important amenities.
The fund got its name from an incident in which a child arrived at the hospital without his teddy bear and needed a toy to hug on his way to the operating room.