Comfort Device with Concealed Symbolic Item

Abstract

A comfort device is disclosed. The comfort device has the overall configuration and features of a soft doll or toy and may be plush. For example, the comfort device may resemble a teddy bear or another type of doll. The comfort device has an internal pocket that opens along the outer surface of the device, and may open in an inconspicuous area, such as at the back of the device. Fixedly tethered within the internal pocket is a symbolic item representative or indicative of a particular chronic medical condition. The tether may be soft, flexible, inextensible, and just long enough that the symbolic item can be withdrawn from the internal pocket and held or appreciated, but not long enough that tether poses a safety issue. The symbolic item itself is typically soft and may be a plush as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A comfort device, comprising:
 a soft doll having a body with generally anthropomorphic or zoomorphic features;   an internal pocket defined in the body, the internal pocket being separated from a filled interior volume of the body by a lining and having an opening along the outer surface of the body, such that the internal pocket is accessible from the outer surface of the body;   a soft symbolic item related to a particular chronic medical condition fixedly tethered to the internal pocket by a flexible, inextensible member attached between the internal pocket and the soft, resilient symbolic item, the soft, symbolic item and the internal pocket being sized such that the soft, resilient symbolic item is removable from and placeable in the internal pocket and the soft, resilient symbolic item occupies at least substantially the entirety of the internal pocket when placed in the internal pocket.   
     
     
         2 . The comfort device of  claim 1 , wherein the doll is plush. 
     
     
         3 . The comfort device of  claim 2 , wherein the soft symbolic item is plush. 
     
     
         4 . The comfort device of  claim 1 , wherein the internal pocket has the opening along a rear portion of the outer surface of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The comfort device of  claim 1 , wherein the symbolic item is fixedly tethered to the internal pocket so as not to be removable. 
     
     
         6 . The comfort device of  claim 5 , wherein the tether is of such a length that, removed from the internal pocket, the symbolic item can be drawn no further than about 5 inches from the body.