Feel-Better Bears

See how Ella Casano, 19, from Fairfield, Connecticut, invented a tool to comfort kids when in the hospital.

March 2026

By Susan Cosier

Scholastic: Where did you get the idea for your invention?

Ella: When I was 7, I was diagnosed with a platelet disorder, which meant my blood didn’t clot when I got hurt. When my platelet count got low, it wasn’t safe for me to do things like ride a bike or participate in gym class. To help, I got IV infusions of medicine every few weeks. The giant bag of medicine that hung on the IV pole next to me during my treatment was pretty scary. A few years later, I had to come up with an invention for a school project, and that memory came to mind. I made my first prototype out of a stuffed penguin by sewing a pocket on the back to hold the medicine. My teachers and nurses loved it! When I was 13, I made a business plan and marketing video. The next year, I filed for patents and found a manufacturer. We are now a nonprofit, which allows us to give Medi Teddy^TM IV Covers to pediatric patients at no cost to them. We also take donations to pay for the cost of producing each one.

Ella's Invention

Watch a video about the IV covers this kidpreneur invented.

Scholastic: What’s the best part of running your business?

Ella: I think the coolest part is being able to see how much of an impact my invention has made worldwide. It was this little idea I had in fifth grade, and now Medi Teddy IV Covers are used in all 50 states and 30 countries. More than 15,000 are out there! Getting emails and pictures of patients using them is really cool.

Scholastic: What’s the most difficult part?

Ella: Raising funds is challenging. We apply for grants and hold fundraisers. We get so many requests from small, rural hospitals that don’t have the budget or parents who have too many medical bills to pay for one. Last summer, there was a school in Ohio that raised about $30,000 to send Medi Teddy IV Covers to every children’s hospital in northeastern Ohio. That was awesome!

Ella has sold and donated more than 15,000 IV covers.

Courtesy of Family

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Ella created a new model made of silicone that could be easily sterilized.

Scholastic: What math do you use to run your business?

Ella: As a nonprofit, we create a financial report at the end of every year to show our income from fundraising and grants and how we spent the money. We also created a budget to make a silicone version during the Covid-19 pandemic. Early versions were stuffed animals, but hospitals didn’t want to use plush products because they can’t be fully sterilized between patients. So we needed to make a silicone version that’s easy to sterilize. To mass-produce the new silicone version, we had to raise money to make the mold, which was expensive! We set our fundraising goal for the mold and first order.

Scholastic: What advice do you have for kids who want to start a business?

Ella: No idea is ever too small. A lot of kids think, “I’m just a kid, and this is never going to go anywhere.” But it’s not going to go anywhere unless you take the next step. Keep pursuing your ideas and don’t give up.”

SETTING FUNDRAISING GOALS

Ella Casano started her business in 2019. Since then, she’s raised thousands of dollars. Before starting a new fundraiser, Ella sets fundraising goals to help plan the campaign and make sure she has enough Medi Teddy IV Covers to send. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.