The Grow Philly series is supported by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. Technical.ly is a free news resource thanks to financial partners like this one! Want to see your business profiled? Take the quick survey.
A decade ago, Eric Wyatt’s life was turned upside down after a near-fatal car accident that left him unable to continue working in construction.
During the long road to recovery, the lifelong Philadelphian, now 53, found himself thinking about his mother and her battle with lung cancer a few years before.
“She always said she felt like a burden to her family, and that kind of stuck with me,” Wyatt told Technical.ly. “Parents shouldn’t feel that way, especially because of an illness.”
He had an idea to create a tangible symbol of support that goes beyond words, which stays with the patient even when they’re alone. A gift that family, friends or even healthcare professionals can give patients to let them know that they’re not a burden.
Playing off the term “bear a burden,” Wyatt chose custom bears designed to address emotional challenges for patients with specific medical conditions, and named the company Burden the Bear.
Founded during the early days of the COVID pandemic when social isolation was at its height, the one-man company has a goal to distribute bears through nonprofit partnerships across the country.
That is, when it can overcome some very challenging roadblocks, like the tariff conflict.
But Wyatt has overcome challenges before, and knowing the bears have helped some people so far is enough to keep going.
A small start
Wyatt’s business started with a logo depicting a bear with the world on its shoulders. He had a small but costly batch of cancer bears made, each with the words “Bear of Burden” across its belly, and took them to the Philadelphia Gift Show. It was there that he met a man who was waiting for a kidney transplant. The feeling of being a burden resonated with him, and he befriended Wyatt.
“We started talking, and he was in the toy business for over 30 years, working with Mattel, with Hasbro,” Wyatt said. “He introduced me to the factory he used in China.”
After the toy executive finally got his kidney transplant, he pitched the idea to the New Jersey hospital where he was recovering. That led to negotiations for transplant bear duos, where one goes to the organ recipient and the other goes to the donor or their surviving family.
The negotiations, however, hit a wall earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, since the tariffs started, things have been put on hold,” Wyatt said.
Because manufacturers require a minimum of 1,000 custom bears per order, finding organizations that can afford to commit in the current economic climate is challenging, no matter how much a potential client loves the idea.
In response, Wyatt has shifted to the donation-driven Lifting The Burden Initiative, focusing on nonprofit and community partners that can sell wholesale Burden the Bear products to raise funds for their causes, medical expenses or community initiatives.
A bear for everyone
From his home in Northeast Philly, Wyatt has designed bears for several types of cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, PTSD, mental illness and more. There are bears for injured servicemembers and first responders, all with a symbol of awareness on their left foot.
“I just designed three different mourning grief bears,” Wyatt said. He hopes to see the black bears with black ribbons eventually distributed by florists, incorporated into floral arrangements. After the flowers are gone, the bear remains to display with a framed photo or an urn.
Not all of the designs are about illness or struggle. Some celebrate differences, such as the rainbow bear of equality for the LGBTQ community and the checkered bear of inspiration for autism.
The possibilities and the potential, he said, are endless.
As the business has brought him closer to people involved with healthcare on all sides, Wyatt has also leaned into his status as a disabled business owner. Last December, he took an accelerator class for disabled entrepreneurs through Synergies Work. After he graduated, he became a coaching assistant for this spring’s cohort and has found it to be another valuable way to network in Philadelphia.
“There’s so many different revenue streams that this can create,” Wyatt said.
Among the many ideas he has for future Burden the Bear tie-ins is a series of animated episodes that educate and spread awareness about conditions, highlighting purpose and embracing differences.
Looking to the future
Despite the obstacles, Wyatt remains steadfast. Recently, he hired a grant writer with the aim of securing local funding. The company is also seeking sponsorship and partnerships, both in Philadelphia and beyond. The interest is there, he said. Once the way is cleared to manufacture the bears, organizations are waiting to distribute them, but that is going to take financial support.
For now, he’s just looking to get bears into patient hands.
“I figure if I can donate 5,000 bears a year,” Wyatt said, “that would be a great accomplishment.”
