Fan Mail

"I bought the thyroid pillow for my fiancé when she was preparing for her total thyroidectomy. She loves it and kept it in the hospital with her during her stay there. Her surgeon loved it too and said he'll have to start getting them for his patients." - Timothy C.

"I purchased this thyroid plush as a gift for my mother who has thyroid cancer and recently had her thyroid removed. She thought it was hilarious and showed it off to all of her nurses, who found it to be funny as well. This little guy put a smile on my mom's face amidst the misery of being post-op, so if it can do that, it's totally worth buying." - Catie

"My father-in-law just began treatment for bladder cancer. He lives in a different state so there isn't much support we can offer but wanted to show him that we were thinking of him. We had the adorable little stuffed bladder sent with a card that said 'Urine Our Thoughts'. It was a HUGE hit. The family cried from laughing so hard. My father-in-law now takes his bladder, named Bob, to the hospital for weekly treatments." - K. G.

"When my teenage daughter opened this pancreas stuffie on christmas morning she broke down in tears. It is hard for someone to find humor in their diabetes, and this is what she needed. The quality is good, and the color is not overwhelming. Kudos to the designer." - Amazon Customer

"I gave this pancreas pillow to my dad before his second surgery for pancreatitis. In addition to being a great comfort during the first couple days after his surgery, it was useful as an educational aid. Before the surgery, the doctor was able to explain which parts of the pancreas were to be removed by pointing out areas on the plush. This plush was such a hit, the hospital is considering an order of more pancreas plushes for its patients!" - Lauren C.

"I bought this pancreas stuffed toy for my boyfriend who has diabetes. He has a very good sense of humor about it so when I saw this I knew it was perfect. He loved it so much he almost passed out from laughing. He sleeps with it every night now. It is very soft and cuddly. It also arrived fast! I would definitely recommend :)" - Katie B.

"I purchased this as a first Diaversary gift for my 11-year-old type 1 diabetic. From that first night in the hospital I told him that if I could buy him another pancreas I would and now I have. He loves it! Most nights his pancreas is right next to him on the other pillow. It seems that on rough nights with a low that we just can't seem to raise, I find him holding tight to this little guy. It is soft and very well made. Well worth the money and smile." - S. H.

"I got the eyeball plush as a secret gift swap for my work Christmas party. I work at an optometrist office. Two of the doctors were fighting over this. It is really cute and a good size." - Victoria

"We call our tooth pillow Mo (short for molar). My wife got this for me while I was going through a pretty severe tooth infection. If it weren't for Mo, I'm not sure I would've made it! Not seriously, but I like to think." - Christhulicia

"I am a pathology resident, and this placenta plush is a hit in our call room! Even the attendings thought it was really funny and cute. It's super soft and well made to boot. A great gift for medical/obgyn geeks, though I can't vouch for it as an appropriate baby shower gag gift." - Lora B.

"I received the skin plush as a gift after being treated for melanoma. It is perfect! Not only is it adorable, and a funny way to comfort someone dealing with cancer, but as a healthcare professional I absolutely love it. Hair shaft, sebaceous glands, Merkel's - it's all there. The quality of the plush is fantastic, and who wouldn't enjoy cuddling up to skin this lovely?" - Ari B.

"My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer almost two years ago and it spread to her liver. When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she answered, "a liver." Though I know she meant it jokingly, I decided I would get her exactly that. The liver plush is really cute, soft, and definitely brings a smile to my mom's face. She even took it with her on a doctor's appointment and got a laugh out of her oncologist. I would definitely recommend this product to others going through a similar situation, for laughter is the best medicine. Oh, and we ended up naming him 'Larry The Liver' :p" - Victoria M.

"My niece is in medical school I started sending her I Heart Guts when she was working on the circulatory system, then made it a tradition that every semester she would get a new body part. She just graduated with her plush liver and loves them all!" - Amazon Customer

"I got a liver plush as a gift after I finished a semester filled with anatomy, physiology, and other related classes. It’s adorable! Ever since I have learned of I Heart Guts, I have bought a bunch of cute body parts to add to my collection (they have stickers, pins, tee shirts, and magnets too). These are the best ever for inspiring healthy habits. They're a teaching tool as well as cute and fun -- I have used mine for health education purposes. I think these plush toys inspire their curiosity about how the body works. So, if you're a teacher, these are for you! They're for kids of all ages, especially practicing or future medical professionals. Have a future nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or anyone of any specialty in mind? This makes the perfect gift. Now that I think about it, this liver plush would be an excellent reminder for anyone that may be trying to overcome alcoholism. The liver plush is so freaking cute, that if someone can connect that happy smile on the toy to their own liver, maybe that's all it would take to keep someone sober. Perhaps, give this as gift to someone undergoing recovery, or someone that works with recovering alcoholics. Just an idea. It’s also a brilliant gift for the everyday health nut. :-) The liver is your detox center. It also plays a necessary role in metabolism. Besides a few other functions, the liver is a glycogen storage unit that also helps you break down fats. So, if you, yourself want a healthy reminder nearby as you do a DIY detox cleanse, this is for you. Enjoy a lemon water, and hug your liver." - Bon Bon

"My mom had a lung removed this year, right before Christmas. She was so pissed that the whole thing had to be removed, but she's back on her feet, and doing really well. This little lung pillow was her favorite gift this year. It is really SOFT, and I think it is a great idea. Very nicely designed, and I'm sure it will last a long time." - Dub32

"The stuffed intestine is a hilarious gift for a guy who recently had surgery and had part of his intestine and his appendix taken out. For his birthday, we got him a new one! While funny (it has a smiling face on it...), I was super surprised to find that it was actually really high quality materials! It iis several inches thick and definitely soft enough/plush enough to use when actually napping. Too too funny, and surprisingly high quality for a gag gift -- great value!" - Megan L.

"I bought this intestine pillow as a little gift to myself. I've been experiencing symptoms of IBS for about a year now, and this plushie makes me smile, which is really important when you feel like crap (Ha! Intestines joke!). The plushie is really high quality and pretty decent size. The fabric is soft and pleasing to the touch, which is great for me because I have sensory sensitivities. The design is really cute, and it sort of helps to distract me from how awful I feel. Overall, the product is great, and I would definitely buy this (or any of the other I Heart Guts plushies) again." - Bee S.

"We received this kidney toy as a gift because my daughter needed a nephrectomy. She is only 4 and didn't really understand what was going on, just that she had a bad kidney that the doctors needed to take out. She carries this around all over the place and it has helped her put her mind at ease about everything. It's super adorable and soft. Such a great idea!" - Lir

"I am so happy with my purchase of the plush kidney from the I Heart Guts Series. My mother has kidney cancer, and had a kidney removed recently. We've found humor and laughter to be the best medicine throughout her cancer treatment. I bought the plush kidney for a Christmas present, and my mom really gets a kick out of it. She now has two kidneys again, even if only one of them functions. This toy is adorable. We've used it as a visual aid to show where her tumors are, and were they were on the kidney that was removed. It's a great learning tool. It's also softer and cuter than the pictures. I'm very happy with my purchase!" - Valerie W.

"Bought this kidney plush for a friend who finally found a kidney donor. He brought it to the hospital with him for the surgery and the doctors and nurses just loved it. It's nice and big without being too big. Very cute and soft." - Nicole N.

"My friend had to have a kidney removed. I wasn't sure what to give him so I ordered this kidney stuffed toy. He loved it! It came with a little story book. It helped bring comic relief to a very stressful time." - Judith R.

"Bought this kidney toy as a get-well gift for a family member who recently received a kidney transplant. It's well made and a great size. He enjoyed it and we were glad it brought a smile to his face. I've been wanting to purchase I Heart Guts products and can say they are great." - MamaUnicorn

"Purchased the kidney pillow for a friend going through dialysis. She took it with her every session. Has held up perfectly for the last year and given her many days of laughter. The I Heart Guts brand of stuffies is made incredibly well. Will purchase another organ eventually." - aridien

"Purchased kidney stuffie for my 5-year-old niece who lost her kidney to cancer and it lifted her spirits and put a huge smile on her face! I love that they had this and other cute organ plush toys. What a way to share a story and bring a smile, (not to mention the great anatomically correct information that's included with these organs)!" - M. M.

"This stuffed kidney was a gift to a dear friend's daughter who gave her brother a kidney. She loves it and named him Sydney the Kidney. What a clever idea to create these plush organs so people who have had transplants or donate can enjoy them. Thanks for creating a great product and thinking of those who may need something like this to help them through a challenging time. Fortunately the brother and sister are both doing amazingly well." - Elaine

"Bought the kidney plush as a gift for my friend who donated her kidney to me. I told her I would give her her kidney back. She loves it!" - ffew94310

"My friend had to have a kidney removed and so I gave her a kidney pillow to hug in case she missed the one that was removed (yes, I’m that friend) and she loved it (even after she was off the dilaudid)! It’s soft, well made and the whole line of these products are hilarious! Laughter helps with difficult times (along with love, support and sarcasm) and even her urologist thought it was great!" - Melissa C.

"Great gift for the psychology major...I dig it. The brain toy is great to squeeze and comfortable to sleep with, hah! Very soft and fun to look at and I named mine Bruce...he is a wonderful conversation piece in my house." - OrganicSatanic

"Love my replacement Uterus! I got a ton of comments during my hospital stay. This is a great gift for someone you know having surgery! Not only is it a great gift but it is functional also. This plush was exactly what I needed for my ride home to put between my incision and my seat belt!" - M. P.

"Bought this plush uterus as an icebreaker to have the period talk with a little girl. It is very cute, soft and fuzzy. She loves it. The little booklet that came with it is also cute, listing the character's personal details, such as her hobby of 'cycling' illustrated with a little bike-riding uterus." - alldenmik

"Seriously this is the best item ever. I purchased this stuffed uterus for a friend who had just had a hysterectomy instead of flowers. I tied black balloons to it. We celebrated out with the old and in with the new happier stuffed uterus. We even named her Deb! This is a PERFECT get well gift for those with a quirky fun sense of humor!" - Amy A.

"There was a uterus and ovary stuffie in my birthing center office. My daughter really enjoyed playing with it each time we went in. She may be 4 years old, but there is no doubt she will be a birth worker in the future with her insane fascination of all things birth and birth related. (She was even my doula for my last birth :) She enjoys snuggling her stuffed uterus and asked me to leave the tag on as we read it often and giggle about it. We LOVE all things I Heart Guts!" - Jessica S.

"I have a quirky OB and wanted to find something very unique as a thank you gift for delivering my son. She lit up from ear to ear and was delighted to show the uterus plush off to all of the nurses. She now wants the accompanying GYN plushes. This is well made and a great conversation piece." - Stacy C.

"Knowing I was to have a hysterectomy, I asked my husband to get me a plush uterus. You never want to be without your uterus, right? He convinced the nurses to take the toy to surgery with me attached right on to my chart. They tucked it up beside me on the bed in the PACU so she was with me as soon as I woke up. I named her Eve (because she's the mother of all living, of course!). She's been a nice companion through my recovery. She even works great as a little pillow under my belly when I want to lay on my side." - Heather H.

"Best Valentine’s Day Gift EVER! I recently had a hysterectomy, so for Valentine's Day my husband purchased this plush uterus for me (as well as the keychain). It's awesome! I love it! It's super cute and makes me smile whenever I see it." - TJinSB

"I just had a C-section to get rid of a large, 20 cm fibroid four days ago. The best thing I did to prepare for surgery, other than rest and lots of magnesium, was to buy this stuffed uterus. Not only did it keep me and all the nurses and my GYN amused before, during and after my surgery and subsequent hospital stay, but it's the perfect size to press against your belly when you have to do things that hurt (which is pretty much everything after a surgery like this!): stand up, sit down, cough, squat to use the potty, etc. I'm getting another to give to my surgeon as a gift! Very, very happy I bought my little 'Uti'!" - Petunia

"Got this stuffed uterus as a gift for a friend who had a hysterectomy. She absolutely loved it. Even carries at around the whole time she was on 'bed rest'. Be careful though, she almost popped her stitches laughing when she opened it!" - Z.

"I got this uterus plush for my mom as a 'get well' present while she was in the hospital after her hysterectomy. I work in the OR so I brought it up in a biohazard bag and told her I found something in the lab that might belong to her. She and her nurses loved it! Thank you for helping me brighten her spirits!" - Amber

"I love my stuffed uterus she hangs out in my room and I smile every time I see her. She has this awesome enthusiastic look on her face all the time and it makes me feel more enthusiastic about my uterus, especially when I’m having cramps -- I can hold it against my belly and hold its silly fallopian tube arms." - Amie

"I laughed so hard when I read the adorable little descriptions about this plush uterus! I got this for a female friend who is going to medical school. She almost cried when she received it because she was so thrilled! It is a nice size, feels well-made, and is a very approachable way to talk about the wonders of the human body." - RDuersch

"My boyfriend has serious heart conditions and received news he had to get a cardiac surgery. I bought this stuffed heart for him to make him feel better and a little more at ease about his surgery, when he got it he absolutely loved it! It's a great gift to lighten anyone’s spirits, no matter what age." - Jrd1386

"Gave this heart plush to my grandfather who’s in heart failure and told him this was a new heart and that he will be ok. He sleeps with it now and it's adorable." - Katherine B.

"I bought this stuffed heart for my dad after his heart surgery to give him a laugh. He has a pacemaker, too, so I glued a flashing LED heart pin to the front and left it blinking. He loves it! I told him to name it, care for it, don't break it, and always give it what it wants." - Amy V.

"My mom had a heart procedure done and really needed a pillow for recovery. I could not resist this heart pillow; we have a great sense of humor. The doctor loved it too and asked where I got it. He thought they would be good to give heart patients after surgery especially children because of the size. The pillow is just the right size for my mom, it is super soft, and is small enough to drag around in her purse to all of her appointments. This was a huge hit in the cardio dept. at the hospital." - Raenell M.

"I'm currently finishing an ultrasound program and my classmates and I are leaving school to our clinical sites, so we decided to get our instructors guts before we leave after tomorrow! I got the heart, uterus, and spleen for my vascular, OB/GYN, and abdomen instructors respectively - they are so perfect for them! My clinical coordinator was in lab one day helping us scan and with more enthusiasm that I've ever seen from her, she said, "Bring on the challenge, I LOVE finding appendixes!” And so of course, we decided she NEEDED that appendix. Super fast shipping, I got my appendix in two days! Just in time to give all my instructors their designated organs on our last day of school tomorrow." - Lina M.

"I had type one diabetes for 22 years and then was told I was going to need a kidney transplant about two years ago. I was given an I Heart Guts pancreas a few years prior and it always made me smile :) A little over a year ago, I received a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant thanks to my donor and donor family. I have a second chance at life as well as a multitude of organs keeping me alive. Now I have three kidneys and two pancreas (they don’t take anything out) and more reason to love and give I Heart Guts kidneys AND pancreas." -Tara L.

"My sister just went through a double mastectomy for breast cancer. The doctors told us that they might have to remove some lymph nodes as well. After the surgery, before she went to recovery, I went to a local toy shop to find a present and I found your plush guts. They didn't have any mammary glands but I did find one very cute lymph node. When my sister woke up we had to tell her that she lost some of her lymph nodes in the surgery. I handed her your lymph node and said that we got her one to make up for it though. It made her really happy. She was ecstatic that I had actually found her a lymph node! After seeing my sister go through so much it felt good to put a smile on her face. Thanks for making such a great product!" - Joel M.

"Recently, a wonderful 9-year-old superstar volunteer gave me one of your adorable pancreas key chains. This gift was both completely unexpected, and it brightened my day like nothing else has in a long time. Her gift got me thinking; there are so few aspects of type 1 diabetes that are fun or uplifting. Yet this tiny memento from I Heart Guts has since served as my silver lining on bad days, as well as a reminder that attitude and perspective are everything. On those bad days — days when I just want to give up, or cry, or yell — I look at that smiling little pancreas and remember how lucky I am to have dozens of other perfectly functioning body parts, and also to work for the # 1 organization funding diabetes medical research. To me, your key chain is a placeholder until the day a real cure (or artificial pancreas!) is created.” — Samantha W.

"I am a frequent shopper on your site and wanted to tell you why. My sister had brain surgery a number of years ago, she had a grand-mal seizure when her kids were little. I bought her a brain and her daughter used it as a way to deal with the situation. I bought another for her son. They both love the brains and it has been very therapeutic. Because of my past experience I immediately thought of your website when my cousin had a kidney transplant. I sent both her and the donor a kidney and a pin. What a great way to add a little humor to a serious situation. Both loved their 'new' kidney! I am sure I will be back to order more guts!" — Theresa D.

“I love your guts! I have given the stomach to my GI doc, the pancreas to my primary doc, the kidney will be going to my nephrologist, and I have the brain, first, because I'm a psych grad, and, second, because I survived a major traumatic brain injury! I'm here to order the lungs for my pulmonologist, too! The docs really love these! And so do I!” — Stephanie G.