A young Scarva businesswoman is helping children to celebrate difference and learn to accept themselves, with a range of teddy bears to provide comfort, confidence and make them proud of who they are.
Shannon Dharmaratne only established Teddycare in May.
But already her business idea has seen her pick up the Rising Star accolade from the judges at the local Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Ultimate Pitch heat of this year’s ‘Go Succeed’ awards.
For Shannon, the award has been a real vote of confidence in her fledgling business which in turn instils confidence in the young people for whom her bears are crafted.
She told Armagh I: “We design teddy bears that reflect a variety of disabilities and differences that children can see themselves in their toys. I was 27 before I got my own neurodivergence diagnosis.
“It shouldn’t take kids 27 years before they understand what makes them who they are and it shouldn’t take until you’re grown up before you feel confident in what makes you who you are and you learn to accept those things about themselves.
“So I decided to try and create an age-appropriate comforter for little kids to understand that different doesn’t make you less, but equally to try and help other little children understand what disability is and learn about it in an age-appropriate way, so that when they do actually come into contact with it, at an older age, they already understand the concept.
“I think we only try and teach disability when it’s already prevalent in our lives, whereas actually we should probably teach it as a whole concept, as opposed to ‘awk that wee boy’s different’.”
Currently, Teddycare has a cochlear implant teddy available, but the plan is to further extend the range to include, among other things, bears specifically aimed at children who are undergoing treatment for cancer or long-term illness, for diabetics, neurodivergence and visually impaired.
The bears are made in bulk in China, with Shannon visiting earlier this year to carry out due diligence and set up designs.
The feedback has been brilliant and a real boost to the young entrepreneur.
“We’re trying to expand the range initially and then we’ll probably continue to expand into 2028 as well,” said Shannon.
“It’s been so positive. It’s actually been really heartwarming. We’ve had so many stories from different parents and schools and we’ve been connected to different community awareness groups.
“I think that it’s so nice to reach your audience and know that it’s so well received and you really understand the need for it.
“We had one mum who said your bear helped my kids to understand their granda’s implants, so that they would give him a hug again. They were too afraid to hug him because they thought they were going to hurt him, so she explained it in a way that was accessible to the child.
“Then you’ve got other kids there that take their ted to their hospital appointments, and it’s just so nice. So many parents have messaged us just to say, as a parent, you don’t really know what to do, you feel a bit helpless at times, so being able to give them a gift that also kind of bridges that communication gap has been really lovely for them. Our Instagram messages are heartwarming, to say the least.”
For Shannon, what she does really is a labour of love and it has been great to receive such positivity.
And she really believes that being able to offer something so valued is not just important but essential.
“I think representation matters and I think inclusion matters, and I think that the faster we can introduce these elements in an age-appropriate manner to children we can go on to create a more inclusive society,” explained Shannon. “Families are impacted by disability experience and social isolation in 65% of cases. So why would we not introduce something that tries to bridge the gap between confidence, acceptance, understanding and inclusion?
Shannon introduces the King to a friend!
“I think it’s essential to give kids the opportunity to understand something that could be quite medical and quite scary from a young age, so that it doesn’t impact their emotions, their confidence and their growth, and their perception of their own self-worth. I think it’s essential and I think representation is so important in day-to-day life.”
Shannon was among 10 entrepreneurs from across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area to win awards at the local heat of Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch, held in Portadown Town Hall.
She is, of course, delighted by her successful ‘pitch’, knowing the judges’ endorsement is not just a boost for herself but the business she is continuing to build.
“For the business, it’s lovely to have the recognition,” added Shannon. “When you’re building something yourself from the ground up, it’s nice for someone to give you that confidence and reassurance that they believe in you, especially because some days you don’t always believe in yourself. So to have that confidence and that reassurance has been lovely.
“I think from the business point of view, it bounces back to me because obviously I’m saying to everyone they should feel seen and confident and proud of who they are and what makes them who they are.
“To get that recognition from Go Succeed, that they think that I have the potential to do this, it’s nice to instil that confidence in myself with the journey that I’ve been on.”
To find out more about Teddycare and to place orders, visit the website here.
