The plush Josh puppy, which accompanies the book, is probably the most important part of the project for the child going into the hospital. At the end of the book, Josh explains how well he did during his “adventure in getting well” and, at the same time, let’s the child know he will be with them when they go through their own “adventure in getting well.”

So when Mom or Dad, or whoever, finishes reading the book, they explain that the plush Josh puppy gets to accompany the child to the hospital and stay with the child while in the hospital. For example:

• When the child checks into the hospital and gets their wrist I.D. bracelet, the Josh puppy gets his own I.D. bracelet (if that is okay with hospital policy).
• When the child has to go for an x-ray, the Josh puppy can accompany the child while the x-ray is being taken, lying right on the x-ray table while the x-ray is taken.
• When a blood sample must be obtained, the Josh puppy gets a bandage placed over the same spot where the child had the blood drawn.
• And if the child has to go into surgery, while the Josh puppy can’t go into surgery, he can be waiting in recovery so that when the child wakes up, guess who is lying right next to him or her—Josh!

Josh becomes the child’s best friend—one who never leaves the child alone—in essence, Josh becomes a friend who simply by being there makes the hospital visit less scary and he is instrumental in changing the visit into an “adventure in getting well.” It utilizes the age-old miracle we call the human-animal bond in a very unique and uplifting way!

When Doug and I were getting this project started, we were dealing closely with our local children’s hospital, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, in Knoxville. I had interviewed doctors and nurses there, and Doug and I were sharing with them our vision for this project. They were the ones who recommended we contact the Children’s Miracle Network—they felt like we were a natural fit and they were right. CMN is the largest children’s charity in the world and was founded by TV stars Marie Osmond and John Schneider. This charity now includes 174 of the premier children’s hospitals in North America, and these hospitals agree to treat any child for any condition or healthcare problem regardless of a family’s ability to pay. In 2005, CMN treated more than 17 million children. Over the past 20 years, CMN hospitals have given away more than $3 billion worth of free medical care to children unable to pay for their care. Needless to say, the Children’s Miracle Network is truly that—a miraculous group of the finest hospitals committed to helping kids get well.

Visit childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org and type in your zip code to determine if your hospital is a CMN hospital.

We hope that Josh gets to visit every hospital where he is needed, including non-CMN hospitals. Please understand, however, that all hospitals have their individual policies regarding plush animals and where these cuddly friends are permitted to go within the hospital.

A portion of the proceeds from every unit purchased goes to support the Children’s Miracle Network and your local CMN hospital.

Orders will typically be shipped within 48 hours of the receipt of the order (holidays and weekends may delay this briefly).

While many hospitals do place an I.D. bracelet on Josh and allow him to accompany the child throughout their stay, it is up to individual hospital policy as to their level of accommodation.

Josh will provide immediate comfort and security for your child during their hospital stay. Numerous testimonials recount that Josh has helped comfort sick children and aid in the healing process. Many times, a critical bond of comfort, trust and companionship is formed that helps children face some difficult times in the usually sterile halls of hospitals.

Organizations like the Children’s Miracle Network, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Legion Family (the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion, and the American Legion Auxiliary), the Student Chapters of the American Veterinary Medical Association (the veterinary schools of North America and the Caribbean), and many other local service organizations and clubs interested in helping children.

At this time other books are under development but have not yet been published. Please monitor our website for future announcements.

The American Legion family consists of millions of Americans who have served our country admirably and selflessly. These are the men and women we have depended on to defend our nation in times of crisis, and these are the people who come to the aid of those in trouble. Who else would be better ambassadors for the Josh Project? These are moms and dads and grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers of the children who have to go into the hospital. These are the people we can depend on to help our children.  

Your organization can purchase books and puppies to be given to deserving children in your community. Please contact us to learn more about our corporate purchasing program.