Matt "Ogre" Whaley: A Legacy of Comfort, Courage and Compassion

On December 24, Matt “Ogre” Whaley and his team of elves arrived at MetroHealth with a delivery that has become a cherished holiday tradition: more than 2,000 stuffed animals for pediatric patients and their families.

Matt Whaley, the owner of Visual Graphics and Sign Company in Mentor, has been delivering far more than stuffed animals to MetroHealth for 36 years. He’s been delivering hope, healing and humanity to children and families navigating the toughest moments of their lives.

That kind of compassion comes from a deeply personal place. Matt knows what it means to face pain and uncertainty. His story explains why this mission matters so much to him.

As a burn survivor, Matt’s journey began at age 18 when a grease fire left him with burns over 25% of his body. “I lost feeling in my legs,” he says. “Now it just feels like pressure when something touches them.” Despite the trauma, Matt became a firefighter and started collecting aluminum cans to raise funds for burn survivors. Eventually, he transitioned to something more personal: teddy bears.

The first year, he delivered 220 bears. Today, through his organization Ogre’s Bears for Burns, he partners with Wild Republic to deliver thousands of realistic animal plushies – arctic foxes, sea turtles, white tiger cubs – to MetroHealth. Each child gets to choose the animal that speaks to them.

Jessica Chupnick, Manager of Child Life and Pediatric Programs at MetroHealth, explains why these gifts matter so much.

“Kids don’t get a choice if they’re going to be in the hospital or if they’re going to experience a healthcare event,” said Chupnick.

“These stuffed animals bring so much choice to children, and they bring comfort, joy and familiarity. It’s something a child can choose to give to their parent at the end of life. It’s something we can use for medical play and psychological preparation. We can start an IV on a stuffed animal or put a cast on it to help children feel more familiar and less afraid.”

Matt’s motivation is deeply personal. He’s seen the pain children endure and understands it in a way few can. “It’s hard to describe what it’s like to look into the eyes of a child who’s hurting,” he says. “You see fear, confusion and pain – but when they receive something that’s just for them, something soft and comforting, you also see a spark of joy. That moment matters.”

He opened up about a difficult childhood marked by poverty and instability. One of the few bright spots from that time was a stuffed animal of his own: Oscar the Grouch. “Oscar was my comfort,” Matt says. “He was the one thing I had that felt like mine. I know what it means to have something soft to hold onto when everything else feels hard.”

Over the past 36 years, Matt estimates that he has donated more than 70,000 stuffed animals, with a total value exceeding $500,000. Matt has committed to a legacy gift at The MetroHealth Foundation, ensuring that his mission of comfort and compassion will continue for generations.

Through Ogre’s Bears for Burns, Matt is giving children comfort in their hardest moments – and through his legacy, that comfort will continue well into the future.

For more information, please contact Greg Sanders, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 440-592-1319 or gsanders@metrohealth.org.