Kids who need to get an MRI at Windsor Regional Hospital should be a little less nervous in the future.
Students in the Fashion Design Program at St. Clair College have created unique MRI gowns for the very young patients aged three to six years old.
Program coordinator Elaine Chatwood says the gowns were made from scratch, including the printing of the fabric.
"They hand carved a block and then block printed the fabric so they also knew they had to keep in mind their target market and part of it was research into different motifs for kids," says Chatwood.
Student Nikki Winter came up with the design the students used to make the gowns.
"Well I just wanted something comfortable, for the kids and something bright, you know it's sad kids have to wear these things," Winter says. "It was just an idea that came to me and having the wrap front on the top was something that, you know easy access for people."
St. Clair Fashion Program student Nikki Winter, with Program Coordinator Elaine Chatwood and models Jase and Nathalie, May 29, 2018 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
Holly Nelson, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Windsor Regional Hospital, says it will help keep the kids from getting upset.
"It'll be a distraction for the kids, right. When the kids come they're so nervous sometimes and so just something to give them a bit of a distraction, we have videos on the scanner now so that helps. This is just a starting point and would be a nice distraction for the children," says Nelson.
Up to 30 paediatric MRI's are done each month.