TRAVELING TEDDY BEAR TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO DEAL WITH DIABETES RUFUS IS OFTEN FIRST LINK TO OTHERS WITH DISEASE.(LOCAL)

Byline: PHYLLIS SPEIDELL THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

COURTLAND -- A few weeks before Christmas, Zeke Zimmer asked for a present Santa Claus could not bring - a cure for juvenile diabetes.

With no help likely from Santa, the lively 5-year-old turned to a teddy bear named Rufus for comfort in dealing with his daily regimen of three insulin shots and eight or nine ``pricks'' for blood tests.

Rufus is one of several bears that travel the country - via a first-class packing carton - helping diabetic children learn about their condition and how to cope with it.

ChildrenwithDiabetes.com sent Rufus. He arrived, wearing corduroy lederhosen, at the …

TRAVELING TEDDY BEAR TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO DEAL WITH DIABETES RUFUS IS OFTEN FIRST LINK TO OTHERS WITH DISEASE.(LOCAL)

Byline: PHYLLIS SPEIDELL THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

COURTLAND -- A few weeks before Christmas, Zeke Zimmer asked for a present Santa Claus could not bring - a cure for juvenile diabetes.

With no help likely from Santa, the lively 5-year-old turned to a teddy bear named Rufus for comfort in dealing with his daily regimen of three insulin shots and eight or nine ``pricks'' for blood tests.

Rufus is one of several bears that travel the country - via a first-class packing carton - helping diabetic children learn about their condition and how to cope with it.

ChildrenwithDiabetes.com sent Rufus. He arrived, wearing corduroy lederhosen, at the …