‘Lucky Bears’ can turn fear into hope for kids at hospital

  • From left are Holden Griffith, Kenzie Griffith, Reese Lucky, Abbey Lucky, Erica Outlaw and Misty Dalme. Young Holden helped inspire the Lucky Bear Program at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center.
    From left are Holden Griffith, Kenzie Griffith, Reese Lucky, Abbey Lucky, Erica Outlaw and Misty Dalme. Young Holden helped inspire the Lucky Bear Program at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center.

    A Moment of Fear, a Community of Care: How NRMC Helped Holden and Inspired the Lucky Bear ProgramWhat began as a simple backyard birthday gathering turned into every parent’s nightmare for the Griffith family. Little Holden, an energetic toddler, had been playing in a kiddie pool with his cousin while adults watched nearby. Everything seemed safe. Everything felt normal.

    Then, in a few quiet seconds, everything shifted.

    “I suddenly realized I didn’t see him,” recalled Holden’s mother, Kenzie Griffith. “One minute he was playing. The next minute I was screaming, ‘Help me.’” Her best friend’s husband pulled Holden from the water. He was scared and crying. Kenzie laid him on the ground, started compressions, and begged him to stay awake during the frantic drive toward NRMC.