A group of University of Ottawa medical students has created a unique project called Medical Monkeys to help young patients at Ottawa’s children’s hospital. The idea originated from Maya Morcos, who enjoys crocheting and decided to put her hobby to good use along with her friends Amir-Ali Golrokhian-Sani, Angela Li, and Bassam Jeryous Fares.
The Medical Monkeys are crocheted toy monkeys equipped with custom-made 3D-printed prosthetics that represent various medical procedures commonly experienced by patients at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). The team aims to fill the gap in representation of prosthetics and other medical devices in toys to help children better understand and cope with their medical journeys.
These educational and engaging monkeys feature accessories like glasses, prosthetic limbs, cochlear implants, G-tubes, tracheostomy tubes, and stomas. The group sources models for the implants online, modifies them for the monkeys, and creatively attaches them to the crochet bodies.
Due to privacy concerns, the Medical Monkeys team delivers the toys to the hospital’s Child Life team, who then distribute them to the children in need. Despite not being able to hand the toys directly to the patients, the impact of these unique toys on the young recipients has been significant, as shared by the doctors involved.
The project has seen growth since its inception, with an increase in community volunteers contributing to the cause. Starting with only 9 monkeys donated in December 2024, the team now has around 20 volunteers and recently delivered almost 50 monkeys in their latest drop this June.
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, with more volunteers stepping in to support the initiative. The Medical Monkeys team continues to expand their efforts and welcomes anyone interested in joining their cause.