By: Judith Smith

Community service project

In a discussion of community service projects on the NeedleARTS RT on GEnie, I
was asked to share this project with all of you:

Surgidolls are a most important part of helping children to overcome their
fears of a hospital stay.  The doctors use these dolls to help the children to
understand the treatment they will be undergoing.

The dolls are made of plain muslin with no features and the doctors use markers
to describe their procedures.  You can use light and medium tone muslin to
simulate various skin tones.  The fabric must not be too dark since the markers
must show up on the fabric and be easily seen by patients.......

The puppet is called a Therapuppet and is used by children in therapy to
express themselves.  This doll, too, has no face nor decoration on it to allow
the child to draw on it.  It is sort of a doll, with a stretch upside down
pocket sewn to the back into which the child slips his hand.

If you would like to make a Surgidoll or a Surgipuppet, please E-mail Judy
Doenias at J.DOENIAS@GENIE.GEIS.COM and she will E-mail her address to you and
for an SASE, she will send you complete instructions.

Thanks!   --Judy
         (judy.s@genie.geis.com/judysmith@delphi.com)