OUTLIVE—Chemo Bear

In late January 2009, Jim Ragonese, staff member in the UT Medical Center Public Relations Office, announced that Chemo Bear, the official mascot of UT Medical Center’s Cancer Institute and resident of the chemotherapy room at the institute, was joining the OUTLIVE campaign. The small, cuddly bear (with the help of Ragonese) created a Facebook page to help promote OUTLIVE. Chemo Bear had sat in the chemotherapy room for more than 10 years to lighten the atmosphere and to be comforting by providing cheer, hope, and companionship. While most of Chemo Bear’s trips outside the chemotherapy room had been kidnappings (he had been to other countries and states; to a wedding; to basketball games; to Tampa for the national football game; and, lost on a bus, was FedExed back to the Medical Center), he made an official appearance at the OUTLIVE game, bringing along OUTLIVE T-shirts.