SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — What started as one mother's way to cope with unimaginable grief has become a therapy tool for thousands across San Diego County and beyond.
The Comfort Cub is a specially designed bear, weighing a few pounds each, that delivers a therapeutic touch to empty arms through a science called "deep touch pressure."
Marcella Johnson, who founded The Comfort Cub 25 years ago, said the Comfort Cubs are therapeutic tools to make people feel like they're not alone.
Johnson started her non-profit organization after experiencing the loss of her infant son to a rare bone disease.
"My heart literally ached and my arms ached," Johnson said. "And I found that when I put a weighted object in my arms, that aching went away."
Johnson created the first cub after experiencing physical symptoms of grief following her son's death. She said she didn't know the science behind deep touch pressure when she started The Comfort Cub, but she knew from her personal experience the effect a weighted object had on those experiencing trauma or grief.
"When you hold something heavy, your heart rate slows, and your breathing calms," Johnson said.
In its 25-year history, the Comfort Cub has distributed more than 40,000 bears to people in need.
The organization's reach has expanded far beyond helping grieving mothers. Today, her mission is needed more than ever, helping comfort groups living with losses from mass shootings, wildfires, seniors experiencing grief, pet loss, and more.
Johnson also sends The Comfort Cubs to help children like at Mi Escuelita.
Mi Escuelita, which helps children between ages 2-5 who come from domestic violence shelters or foster programs, is one of the places where Johnson's bears are making a difference.
Johnson has given each child at Mi Escuelita a cub and she taught them breathing exercises to use during difficult times.
"They'll put it in their arms and they'll show me what they'll do like I'll rock it back and forth and, and in the process of telling the cub to calm down, they actually are self-soothing," Johnson said.
ABC 10News first honored Johnson and the Comfort Cub in 2002. More than 20 years later, Johnson and The Comfort Cub were nominated once again for the impact they continue to have to this day, and are July's recipient of 10News' Leadership Award.
"Our goal is to get a Comfort Cub into every hurting hand," Johnson said.
