In 1998, we thought we were on Cloud Nine. John and I were just married and looking forward to the birth of our first child. In August, after a week of labor and many unanswered questions, our daughter, Chloe Terese was born. We were only told she was very ill and did not have a good chance at survival. Upon transfer to Mpls. Children’s Hospital we were informed of her severe brain damage and the care it would take if we were ever able to bring her home. We were devastated, but looked to family and friends for support and guidance as we made some of the most difficult decisions new parents would ever have to make. Beating the odds, Chloe came home from the hospital six weeks later on the day before her original due date. John and I were ready for the challenge and just concentrated on the day-to-day obstacles Chloe would face.

With a big celebration Chloe made it to her first birthday, but not without some major trials and tribulations. She would always maintain the functions of a one-month old baby and would never be able to talk or walk. John and I were just happy she had beaten one of the biggest odds against her, just living.

By her second birthday, she had been hospitalized 18 times, had 8 surgeries and lived in a pretty pastel nursery surrounded by medical equipment. The weekend following her birthday, Chloe was hospitalized for the last time. We were told she had gone into liver failure and the only possible chance at recovery was by getting a transplant. John and I decided to discharge Chloe and take her home to be cared for by the Minneapolis Children's Hospice and Karuna Program. After 4 months of struggling, a Make-A-Wish trip to meet Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters at Sesame Place, a plane ride to the North Pole to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and what would be final Christmas pictures, her journey ended and she earned her wings on December 13, 2000.

At Chloe's funeral we asked friends and family to bring a teddy bear to be donated to the children at the hospital Chloe spent most of her life at. Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought we would escort her out of the room and pass a wall of 200+ teddy bears. We were able to donate one teddy bear to every bed at Minneapolis Children's Hospital, give a box to the Hospice Program and another box to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for their wish bags.

Life at a children's hospital is heartbreaking. John made it possible for me to be a stay-a-home mom and take care of Chloe full time. At the hospital, it does not go unnoticed that some children do have not visitors during the day. Not because their parents don't want to be there, every parent wants to, but because they have to continue to provide for their families back home. Minneapolis Children's has patients from all over the state who come to receive the level of care they can provide. Being far away from home can tear at a parent's heart. I realized that after a trip to a routine MRI from Chloe what lonely must feel like. A parent is not allowed in the room during an MRI, so there is no one there to hold their hand while they listen to a machine and wonder what might be wrong with them or they don't understand why Mommy and Daddy are not there. The Chloe T. Foundation provides stuffed animals that have no metal, is cuddly soft and reminds them of home. It brings a smile to my face knowing I can help fight that fear as I remember the time I had to pace the hallway outside of the MRI suite not knowing what was going on in there and if Chloe was scared not having a familiar face or voice near her.

While the reason John and I decided to start The Chloe T. Foundation was to allow us to give back to the hospital and let the children know it is okay to be scared and hug one of our furry friends but also to let other parents know we have walked in their shoes and know how hard it is to leave a child overnight in a hospital with nothing familiar in their surroundings. We now donate to 18 metro area hospitals, The Minneapolis Children’s Hospice and Karuna Program, Wishes N More and  The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota.

Our goal is to expand our donation sites to include the entire State of Minnesota. I hope you will help us meet that goal by visiting us at one of our Animal Sales, buy a ticket and attend our annual benefit or make a contribution so we can continue to give “the power of a teddy bear” to thousands more hospitalized children in Minnesota.

Angel love,
Jenny Karline


When Chloe passed away, her parents asked family and friends to bring a teddy bear to her funeral. They didn't want to bring a lot of flowers home. The response was overwhelming. In the back of the room, the stairs were filled with nearly 200 teddy bears. One week later Chloe's parents took all those teddy bears to Minneapolis Children's Hospital, The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Minneapolis Children's Hospice and Karuna Program. Each child who was in the hospital received a teddy bear, right down to the tiniest of patients in the NICU. Children and parents alike were so appreciative of the gift of a teddy bear. Smiles abounded. A couple of months later, Chloe's dad thought it would be great if they could do this every year for the hospital that had given them so much. And thus, The Chloe T. Foundation was born. Word of mouth spread among friends and organizations and another 250 animals were delivered in December 2001. Handcrafted tags tied with bright colored ribbon tell each child where the animal comes from. “the power of a teddy” became the slogan for the foundation because each animal brought so many smiles, not only from the children, but from their parents as well.

As long as there is money to purchase new stuffed animals, tags will be added and children who are hospitalized will receive — ”the power of a teddy bear”.