05-03-2025
Retired nurse's mission: CURE bears bring comfort to childhood cancer patients
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — March is Women's History Month, and News 8 is highlighting all the women in our community doing remarkable things.
Tuesday, we introduce to you one woman working to bring awareness to childhood cancer, one teddy bear at a time. Meet Lynne Stiefler!
'It's a tangible reminder to families that they're not fighting cancer alone. And that there's other people that care and I think that's an important message,' Steifler, a retired pediatric oncology nurse, told News 8.
Stiefler runs CURE Bears for Hope and Love – through which she gives children fighting cancer teddy bears for comfort. It's not an official non-profit, but she's been doing this pretty much full-time since 2013.
'Kids – when they're going through treatment are just so remarkable, you know? They're not like adults,' she said.
Steifler retired in 2010 after working as a pediatric oncology nurse for nearly 30 years, but she missed working with the kids. So, she quickly started working with organizations like Camp Good Days and Cure Childhood Cancer, but she doesn't get help or discounts to buy her bears. For that, she collects bottles and cans with her husband.
'We, I think, last month returned probably 1500 cans and bottles. So, it adds up,' she explained.
Steifler shaved her head for the first time in 2008 in solidarity with children fighting cancer. Since then she's done it over a dozen times.
'It's always bothered me that there's not enough done for childhood cancer awareness and in October you have tons of stuff for breast cancer awareness,' she said.
Golden Apple Award: Congratulations to Chiquita Graham!
Steifler hopes to keep spreading awareness for childhood cancer while providing comfort for kids fighting it with her teddy bears.
Retired nurse's mission: CURE bears bring comfort to childhood cancer patients
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