After death of her son, Lincoln mom provides comfort animals to children in crisis

Paramedics with Lincoln Fire and Rescue have a lot of tools they use to save lives every day.

But there's something on-board an ambulance, you may not expect to see.

"Medi Teddy's are stuffed animals that come in a vacuum sealed pack for us and we like to give them to kids on the worst day of their lives to try and console them," Tom Moody, firefighter and paramedic with Lincoln Fire and Rescue said.

Moody said something as simple as a stuffed animal goes a long way to help a child going through the unimaginable.

Jennifer Brock knows that feeling all too well.

"We were in a horrible car accident," the Lincoln mom said.

On December 3, 2011, Brock's two year old son Aidan was killed and her 17-month-old daughter, Ansley, was injured and rushed away from her parents by paramedics.

"To help calm Ansley and keep her happy and cooperative they gave her a little blanket and stuffed animal and that really stuck with us," Brock said.

Ansley recovered, and in the name of Aidan, who didn't, Brock and her family are providing that same comfort provided to them.

"He didn't get opportunity to live and create a legacy and he loved animals, and he loved friends, he was just a good spirited little boy, so for this to be able to sort of embody who he was and to give back is so important," Brock said.

Aidan's animals has provided close to 10,000 stuffed animals to Lincoln Fire and Rescue, the Lincoln Police Department and other agencies across Nebraska.

"You can see their eyes kind of pop open and they get really excited," Moody said. "To take thier mind off of the trauma that's going on with them or their family means quite a bit."

Aidan's animals also provides car seats for children with special needs and low-income families.

To learn more about the organization, visit supportaidansanimals.org.