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You know how when you were younger, you always hugged your stuffed animal when you were scared and it would make you feel better? Even now, sometimes, we can turn to our plushy pals when times get hard. For some kids, though, finding comfort from a fluffy friend came with its own set of risks. Now, twelve-year-old Gaby Zane is here to help. 

In the past, kids have been allowed to bring their stuffed animals into the operating room to help them keep calm and relax before surgery, but the harm can outweigh the help thanks to all the germs and bacteria that can be found on your favorite bunny toy. For her science fair project, Gaby wanted to come up with a way to help kids keep their stuffed toys with them without risking their health.

With the help of her doctor parents, Gaby created an awesome science lab in her basement where she tested and studied the amounts of bacteria on her favorite dolls and animals. She started by swabbing each of the toys to measure their amounts of bacteria. After washing, drying and swabbing them again, Gaby made some discoveries that are actually pretty awesome.

 

In a matter of days, Gaby found that washing the animals not only decreased the amount of bacteria by 94 percent, but also prevented the germs from spreading. But, Gaby took her experiment one step further, too. She proposed that putting the toys in a sealed plastic bag before the operation would ensure that the animals remain sterile and clean. Now, children and doctors all over the world are following her simple plan to reduce health risks while keeping the comfort factor high.

Besides solving facing kids and their doctors for years, Gaby’s also been sharing her research, teaming up with her mom Dr. Murphy-Zane and some of her mom's colleagues to write a scientific paper called, "Stuffed Animals in the Operating Room: A Reservoir of Bacteria With a Simple Solution." It was even published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. How many 12 year-olds can brag about that? It just goes to show… never underestimate a kid.

What awesome science fair projects did you research? Did you ever learn anything cool from them? Share below in the comments.

Photo credit: 9News/Zane Family

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