Today, on National Teddy Bear day, Nestlé Nutrition and Health introduces Tube Fed Ted, a character designed to spark conversations, build connections and help families discover trusted tube feeding support.
For many families, tube feeding can bring questions, worries and moments of uncertainty, particularly in the early days. Ted has been created to help make those conversations easier, offering children a familiar face who shares their experience and helping parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals introduce trusted support in a warm and approachable way.
After all, tube feeding isn't Ted's challenge to overcome. It's simply the way he eats.
For healthcare professionals, Ted offers something different: a simple, relatable way to start conversations about tube feeding and introduce families to trusted support. By helping make information feel more approachable, Ted can support engagement with educational resources, encourage discussion at home and provide a familiar touchpoint that families can return to between appointments. Whether helping explain tube feeding to a child, signposting practical guidance or connecting families with a wider community, Ted acts as a friendly bridge between clinical care and everyday life.
Over the coming months, Ted will appear across Talking Tube Feeding channels, sharing stories, celebrating milestones and helping families discover practical resources and community support. Through films, digital content and community activities, Ted will encourage children and families to share their own adventures, favourite memories and everyday moments, creating opportunities for conversation and connection along the way.
The launch will also see members of the tube feeding community invited to share messages of encouragement and reassurance for those earlier in their journey, helping turn lived experience into meaningful peer support.
Jemma Daltrey, Head of Marketing, Medical Nutrition said: "We know that information is important, but so is connection. Through conversations with healthcare professionals and families, we've seen the powerful difference that shared experiences can make. Tube Fed Ted has been created to bring a little warmth, familiarity and understanding to the tube feeding community, helping children and families feel seen while making it easier to discover trusted support and resources through Talking Tube Feeding."
Tube Fed Ted said: "Hello! I'm Ted. I love adventures, making new friends and giving the occasional “Ted Talk”. I tube feed too; it’s an important part of who I am and I've learned that life's better when we share our stories and support each other. Whether you're just starting your tube feeding journey or you've been on it for years, I'd love to help you feel part of something bigger. Because nobody should ever feel they're doing this alone."
