Children at Akron Children's Hospital received a gift ahead of the holidays, thanks to a partnership between the hospital, Build-A-Bear Workshop and the Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

Patients at the hospital were able to get a new teddy bear on December 5 as part of the Hope Foundation's DreamCatchers for Kids program.

The DreamCatchers for Kids program began in 2016, aiming to support and bring joy to children facing life-threatening medical conditions.

From their hospital beds, children could create their own teddy bear, including a name, the clothes the bear would wear and other assorted accessories.

Rey Esparra, a member of the Hope Foundation, says that everything can be done remotely to simulate the experience that the child would have at Build-A-Bear.

"The concept came about, [such as] 'Why wouldn't we have a Build-A-Bear type plan that would allow the child to actually build it - even though they aren't there - build it, and simulate it [as if] they were there?'," said Esparra.

He says that this is a great way to help cheer up children and families around this time of year.

"When they open up that gift, the smiles are beyond your wildest dreams," said Esparra.

Jennifer Ostapiak, another member of the Hope Foundation, said that the event has been going on for seven years, and it continues to grow.

"Each year, it just evolves into something bigger. We never have a shortage of volunteers to come in," said Ostapiak.

She continued, stating that it brings comfort to everyone involved.

"It just brings some joy and happiness to all of the parties involved. Whether it's the children, the parents, the nurses and the staff. It's been a rewarding experience," said Ostapiak.

Esparra encourages anyone looking to donate, become a volunteer or find more information about the Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley programs to visit their website.