Hylie Atkins is no stranger to hospitals. She has suffered for years from chronic illness. After a miracle cure, she wants to spread a message of hope to other children.

Diagnosed at birth with anemia and suffering from a rare case of childhood emphysema, Hylie has spent months of cumulative time in hospitals. While there are efforts to keep the childrens' areas bright and cheerful, Hylie thought that sick kids could use a more personal uplift. With funds from a toy store and volunteers from her family, she has now delivered over three dozen teddy bears to kids in area hospitals.

Recipients are thrilled with their gifts. Jenna Hopkins, 7, suffering from an advanced case of leukemia, says, "Hylie is so nice. She didn't even laugh at my hair. I named my bear 'Hylie' after her. It will be something for my mom and dad to hug when I'm not here anymore."

Other children echo the sentiment. Ennis Chapman, 11, says, "Some of my friends laughed at me because I have a teddy bear. I don't mind, because Hylie made me feel better about my cystic fibrosis. She was real sick too, and she got better."

As for Hylie, her prognosis looks good. A grant from Ann Arbor-based Methusalabs has provided Hylie with a drug called Lifloxin, which has turned her near-fatal illness almost completely around. Hylie plans on collecting more bears for other kids. "Sometimes treatments can be very painful," she explains, "and it's nice to have something to hold. Teddy bears don't even mind if you cry a little. They just absorb your tears and you can keep hugging them."

A lesson for us all, perhaps.