Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback Matt Nichols and his family hope to help children have an easier time going through MRI scans with a donation to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The quarterback and his wife Ali have donated $10,000 to the foundation’s fundraising efforts to purchase a new set of Cinema Vision Goggles.
“We have two young daughters who are fortunate to have their health, but that’s not the case for many children,” Nichols said in a release from the Bombers Wednesday.
“A second pair of goggles for the Children’s Hospital will go a long way in reducing recovery time for children and reducing wait lists in Manitoba.”
Cinema Vision Goggles, along with headphones that block out the sound of MRI machines, allow kids watch a DVD of their choice while undergoing a scan.
Scans can be lost because of claustrophobia and some kids need to be sedated due to anxiety before going into the machines.
The Childrens’ Hospital received their first set of goggles in 2013 and say the device has cut the need for sedation in kids by 30 per cent.
With the donation, the Children’s Hospital Foundation has now raised $60,781 of the $75,000 needed in their campaign to buy the new goggles.
“Our thanks to Matt and his family for helping to make anything possible for the kids,” said Stefano Grande, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, in a release.
“Because of his generosity, we are one step closer to completing the campaign to fund a new set of MRI goggles for kids; a key distraction tool needed to ease the stress and anxiety to handle this medical procedure.”