The Centers for Disease Control report that about 27% of kids in the U.S. have a chronic medical condition of some sort, yet kids’ conditions, illnesses, and disabilities are rarely reflected in their playthings. The Butterfly Pig seeks to change that.
Created by former pediatric oncology nurse Mary Jenner, The Buttery Pig is a toy medical device line created to cater to kids with a wide range of chronic illnesses and disabilities. With an optimistic spirit running through (the company’s name, The Butterfly Pig, is a playful take on “when pigs fly”), its accessories are made to appeal to that 27% of kids.
Cochlear ear implant. | Source: The Butterfly Pig
The toy oxygen tank. | Source: The Butterfly Pig
Among the products The Butterfly Pig offers for kids with chronic conditions includes toy medical devices, such as tracheostomy tubes, infusion pumps, noise-canceling headphones, and inhalers.
There’s also doll-size cochlear implants, insulin pumps, gait trainers, allergy pens, and more. The accessories and sets range in price from 50 cents to $100.
The Butterfly Pig’s website also carries dolls and plush with diverse characteristics, featuring a spectrum of hair textures, skin tones, and with anatomically correct proportions from brands Miniland and Toyse.
The intention is to allow these children not only to see themselves represented in their entirety, but to also help them gently and simply understand their own conditions better. For information on the company’s mission and products, visit The Butterfly Pig website.
THE BUTTERFLY PIG TOY MEDICAL DEVICES
These toy medical devices range include tracheostomy tubes, infusion pumps, noise-canceling headphones, inhalers, cochlear implants, insulin pumps, gait trainers, allergy pens, and more. All the accessories are doll size.
