On Thursday, August 12th, 2021, the Stad’s Crabfest Board was invited to join members of the Team Campbell Foundation to tour the Children’s Hospital of Hackensack Medical Center and to learn more about the new MRI Goggles that are being used to provide comfort and calm to pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Team Campbell Foundation was Stad’s Crabfest’s 2019 Primary Grant Recipient. The Foundation was named after Campbell Hoyt, who for 5 years courageously battled Anaplastic Ependymoma, a rare cancer of the brain and spine, before passing away in August of 2014 at the age of 8. Because of our matching Grant, Team Campbell was able to purchase MRI Goggles for the Medical Center, although it took a little longer to donate them because of the pandemic.

During my visit, I learned more deeply about how children experience multiple, hour-long MRI scans as part of their cancer diagnoses, monitoring, and treatment. Due to the length of the MRIs in which the patients cannot move, they often need to be sedated, which can cause additional negative side effects and additional trauma. With the MRI Goggles and accompanying headphones specially made to work within an MRI (nothing metal, like a Tablet or iPad can go into an MRI), patients can now enjoy a movie or TV, or listen to relaxing or upbeat music, calming them and occupying them enough to avoid the need for sedation during the MRI.

Hospital personnel, including Amy Glazer of the Children’s Hospital and “Tackle Kids Cancer” programs, expressed that these MRI Goggles have greatly improved the patient treatment experience and reduced trauma by providing much needed comfort to their families. Upon hearing this, I couldn’t help but think that this is directly aligned with Stad’s Crabfest’s Mission.

I had the pleasure of touring the Medical Center with Campbell’s parents, Greg and Robyn Hoyt who expressed deep appreciation for our Grant, which made this partnership possible. I also learned how Team Campbell is funding research with the goal of curing Anaplastic Ependymoma and other forms of pediatric cancer. It is comforting to know that there are others working towards easing the lives of children and families who must navigate the difficult journey of living with cancer. Thank you, Stad’s Crabfest Community for your support that allows us, together, to make these advancements in support of families facing cancer possible. -

-Mark S. Young, Board Member, Stad’s Crabfest Foundation