Monkey in My Chair is a program developed for children fighting cancer. During chemo, surgery, and other treatments, the kids tend to miss a lot of classroom time. Heidi Feyerherm-Smith developed the program in honor of her daughter, Chloe Feyerherm, who lost her battle with cancer in October 2007.
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The basis of the program is to connect children missing school for treatment with their classmates. When the student is absent, a stuffed monkey sits in their chair. The other students interact with the monkey and take it to reading groups and other activities throughout the day. By using the monkey as a placeholder, the students keep their missing friend involved. The teacher takes pictures and sends them to the missing child. Some classrooms use apps that allow students to participate in some activities from the hospital.
Benjamin doesn’t have cancer, but he does have cerebral palsy, polymicrogyria, and arthrogryposis. He has a lot of physical and occupational therapy and frequently misses class. His Pre-K teacher provided Benjamin’s monkey to hold his place while he did a three-week intensive PT/OT program. The teacher and students helped Benjamin’s monkey participate in classroom activities.
Students even helped the monkey play in the sensory bin. Because Benjamin’s absence was at the beginning of the year, the students hadn’t met him in person yet. They interacted with the monkey and looked forward to meeting the real Benjamin.
Benjamin’s mom shared a slideshow about her son’s monkey and how the students interacted with it during Benjamin’s absence. On her TikTok page, she shares a lot about his therapy work, trials, smiles, and triumphs.
“Monkey In My Chair” Kits Are Free
The Love Chloe Foundation offers free Monkey Kits to hospitals and children with cancer. The kits include a stuffed monkey for the classroom, a small stuffed monkey for the hospitalized child, and a backpack. A book and a teacher’s companion guide are also provided to explain the program.
Access to Monkey Message provides an online picture-sharing platform that keeps students and their classrooms connected. The portal contains activities and educational material that promote interaction.
Kits can be requested by the family or a hospital social worker. If your child does not have cancer, but has a medical condition that results in long absences, families may purchase a kit. With each kit registration, the monkey gets a birth certificate.
The Love Chloe Foundation offers additional support and resources for families. Kits and additional information are available on the Monkey in My Chair website.
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