Leeds dad who makes toys for children with health problems hopes to go global

Nick Hardman with penguins that have been fitted with a pacemaker

A Leeds dad who makes toys for children with medical conditions now hopes to take his idea around the world.

Nick Hardman uses a 3D printer to create imitate medical accessories such as hearing aids and dialysis machines which can then be fitted to soft toys.

So far, he has made more than 3,000 toys which aim to help children understand their own health better.

Mr Hardman, who recently featured in a Lewis Capaldi music video, has now shared plans to expand.

Nick Hardman originally printed PPE kit for health care workers across the UK during the pandemic

The single dad-of-two, set up the 3D Toy Shop during the pandemic to create a specialist teddy for a three-year-old boy with a brain implant.

Mr Hardman hopes that one day every child living with a medical condition will be able to have a teddy "just like them".

To make this dream a reality, he would like to expand his enterprise with so called "teddy hospitals" which would create toys across the world.

At the moment, Mr Hardman and his team of volunteers make new toys twice a week and he has recently started working with a team in the US.

Mr Hardman uses his caravan to drop the teddy bear off at the local post office

Mr Hardman, who still works as a controls engineer three days a week, told the BBC: "I wake up every morning to the machines beeping, needing plastic changes. I schedule my trips out based on 3D printing schedules - doing it all, it's just taken over my life basically.

"But I don't regret it, this makes me happier than anything in the world. You see the videos of kids receiving the teddies and that's worth more than money, I wouldn't give that up for anything."

He added: "Every single toy changes a child's perception, so they are all magic and special."

Mr Hardman has also created play therapy packs for hospitals, which can be used to explain and normalise procedures to children.

He explained: "Hospitals can't use teddies because you can't sterilise them. I have now modified the toys so they can get reused and wiped down so hospitals can use these toys for play therapy."

In May this year, his 3D Toy Shop featured in Lewis Capaldi's music video for his song Have You Ever Been In Love Before?

As a thank you, Mr Hardman created a teddy for the Scottish singer, who publicly shared his Tourette's Syndrome diagnosis in September 2022.