Last Friday, 8 year-old Lily, who will undergo brain surgery soon, became the first patient at Levine Children’s Hospital to experience CinemaVision – a new technique being offered for patients having MRI scans in the hospital’s Radiology Department. Her response to the procedure: “Having an MRI is not bad at all. All I had to do was watch a movie.” The state-of-the-art virtual entertainment system allows patients to do just that—watch their favorite movie using special goggles—rather than waiting anxiously for a procedure to be completed. The system also includes headphones and a microphone, which allows the patient and MRI technicians to communicate during the procedure.
CinemaVision is funded entirely through philanthropy, thanks to the generosity of the Dreamcatcher Society, a giving society established at Carolinas HealthCare Foundation in 2004. Now more than 230 members strong, the Dreamcatcher Society is an energetic group interested in the health and well-being of children in Charlotte and the surrounding region. Members pledge $1,000 a year for five years to underwrite programs and resources at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital.