A special teddy bear which helps children suffering from anxiety and mental ill health is available to buy at a reduced price for a limited time only.
Earlier this year, Lynn and Samantha Crilly appeared on Saturday Morning Live with Ben Leo and Ellie Costello to talk about their TroubleMuncher toy.
The bear was designed and created by Lynn and her daughter Samantha, who has suffered from an eating disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Lynn later became a counsellor to support Samantha, after finding she couldn’t access the help her daughter needed.
They used their shared knowledge to create the TroubleMuncher, which is now bringing comfort to families across the UK and is also in some schools.
The pair were crowned Greatest Britons by GB News and after appearing on the programme they were inundated with orders for the toy. Many came from grandparents who wanted to buy their grandchildren a special toy with a unique meaning.
Lynn Crilly and her daughter Samantha were crowned 'Greatest Britons' by GB News
GB NEWS
In a bid to further help raise awareness, GB News viewers and listeners can now get their hands on the bear for the specially reduced price of just £10. Price is correct at the time of writing.
Mum Lynn, the author of Hope With Depression, added: “In today's technology-fueled world I think this helps kids to go back to basics, and it just helps them to process things better by writing it down.
“We’ve known that some children have written their troubles down and then just left the bear on the side, gone to school, knowing that the parents are going to take the troubles out.
“It's in schools too, in the libraries or the cosy corners or the different places that they can go for nurture. Everyone's so busy these days. It's quite hard to be in the right place at the right time to listen. And he just works as a safety net.
"After appearing on GB News we were amazed at the interest in the toy - especially from grandparents. That’s why we wanted to offer other grandparents the chance to buy a bear for a reduced price.
“The timing couldn’t be more important. Sadly, more and more young people are now suffering from and being diagnosed with mental ill health and anxiety.
"And in the run-up to returning to school can be a really anxious and lonely time for families and children. The Troublemuncher can help.”
The Troublemunche comes with a rucksack on its back, and a small notepad meaning kids who own one are encouraged to write down and share any problems they have.
And, like any teddy bear, it’s there to cuddle when they feel sad.
The bear is also linked to a free-to-download app, which lets the child communicate directly with the TroubleMuncher bear.
In the app, an animated version of the bear listens to the problem and then munches the issue away.
The TroubleMuncher app and teddy is a toy and should not be used an an alternative or replacement to medical support or treatment being provided by a GP or expert.
Each TroubleMuncher bear has a rucksack which contains a notepad, where a child can write down what's concerning them.
They can put a message inside the rucksack and leave it in a place for an adult or carer to read, or they can hand it directly to the person they want to share the note with.
The process can help a child to live a life with fewer anxieties and potentially get the support they need.
