For the past year, MCW has been working on the realization of the Children's Brain Lab at Sophia Children's Hospital.
On Saturday February 11, the day finally arrived and MCW and the Children's Brain Lab together committed to the Sophia Children's Hospital by cycling 2.5 hours for children with rare diseases. Rare diseases are more common than is thought. 1 million Dutch people contract a rare disease in their lifetime, 80% of whom are children. Meanwhile, there are already more than 7000 rare diseases registered, many of which are still unknown to doctors. This makes early diagnosis difficult. In addition, for many of these diseases no treatment is available that leads to a cure. To change this, MCW and the Children's Brain Lab are committed to Sophia.
Cycling for Sophia
At the Topsportcentrum in Rotterdam the event kicked off and a number of our colleagues dared to venture out on the spinning bikes. Accompanied by a fantastic team of volunteers and athletes, this event was one to remember. Together with the many other attendees, we managed to raise a total amount of no less than €441,789 on the Saturday. This money will be used for the Center for Rare Disorders at the Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital.MCW and the Children's Brain Lab themselves raised no less than € 7000 in donations.
A word of thanks to everyone who made a donation!
Want to know more about the Children's Brain Lab?
The Children's Brain Lab is entirely focused on children. Together with MMEK and the practitioners involved, we have developed different areas where children feel as comfortable as possible.
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Walking to a world of their own
To measure children's walking patterns, there is a special walking mat in the Children's Brain Lab. Children walk across this walking mat toward a large screen on which a digital world is displayed. These worlds, such as an underwater world or space, were devised together with the children at Erasmus MC Sophia. This way, children walk through the walking mat towards their own wonderful world.
Digital friend
In the Children's Brain Lab, the children are not alone. Before their visit, each child may choose their own digital friend to accompany them during the measurements. They can choose from three friendly dolls: Wavy, Brainy and Neuro. During the measurements, the avatar appears on a screen and experiences the same thing as the child. Does the child get an EEG? Then the avatar also receives a cap with electrodes on its head. Does the body circumference need to be measured? Then the measuring tape also goes around the avatar. This way, the children always have their digital friend nearby.
Waiting room
It can be exciting for children to come to the Children's Brain Lab. The waiting room is therefore a low-stimulation environment where children can unwind. Children can also play a game here, for example with the interactive touch screen, if they need some distraction.
The Self-Portrait
We are currently working with Sophia Children's Hospital on the app "The Self-Portrait. This pediatric medical record helps children prepare for a visit to the Children's Brain Lab or a doctor's appointment. They can also review the results of measurements in the app after their visit. The goal of the Self-Portrait is to reassure children, involve them in care and motivate them for their treatment.
